Lyla sat in the clearing, her heart pounding as Eli’s words settled over her. “You’re right. It’s time you knew everything.”

The moonlight filtered through the canopy of trees, casting long shadows across the forest floor. Mason stood a few feet away, his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on Eli, clearly disapproving of whatever was about to happen.

“You’ve said that before,” Lyla said, her voice steady despite the chaos inside her. “But you haven’t told me everything. No ...