Outside Liora’s chamber window, the wind hissed through the trees, carrying with it the distant howl of wolves. The sound used to comfort her, a reminder of belonging, but now it felt like a warning—low, endless, and sharp enough to unsettle her bones.

Aric stood at the doorway, silent as always, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. He had barely spoken since the council’s verdict, yet his presence wrapped around her like a second shadow.

“Aric,” Liora said softly, breaking ...