Chapter 22

Third POV

Serena had not cried. The tears were a luxury she could not afford, a saltwater offering to the moon goddess that had stopped listening long ago.

Instead, she moved. She packed a single bag with methodical, emotionless precision. A change of clothes. A waterskin. A hunting knife. The essentials for survival, for a clean exit.

The Summit was in two days. She would stay for that. It was her last duty to the pack, the final thread of responsibility she had to sever. Then, ...