[ARIA'S POV]

I ran until the packhouse lights disappeared behind me.

My feet barely touched the ground. Each stride carried me farther and faster than should have been possible. Trees blurred past in streaks of black and silver. The wind whipped my hair back, and I felt alive in a way I'd never experienced.

This was what having a wolf felt like.

This was what I'd been missing my entire life.

We could run forever, my wolf whispered. Never stop. Never look back.

But my human body had limits that my wolf didn't understand yet. My legs began to burn. My lungs screamed for air. I slowed to a stop in a small clearing and collapsed against a tree trunk.

Everything hurt. My bones ached from the transformation. My muscles trembled from running. Even my skin felt too tight, like I was still adjusting to this new version of myself.

But underneath the pain was something else. Power. Humming through my veins like electricity waiting to be unleashed.

I looked down at my hands. They appeared normal-still pale, still scarred from years of scrubbing floors and washing dishes. But when I concentrated, silver light began to glow beneath my skin.

It didn't hurt. It felt warm. Comforting. Like being wrapped in moonlight.

"What am I?" I whispered to the darkness.

"You're a Moon Wolf, child. Just as I said."

I spun around, heart hammering.

Elder Moira emerged from the shadows between the trees. She moved with surprising grace for her age, her walking stick barely touching the ground. In her other hand, she carried a worn leather bag.

"You followed me," I said. It wasn't a question.

"Of course I did." She settled onto a fallen log with a soft grunt. "Did you really think I'd let you wander the Forbidden Forest alone after what just happened?"

I stayed pressed against my tree, ready to run if needed. "Why do you care? No one else in that pack does."

"Because I know what it's like to be different. To not fit." Her wrinkled face softened. "And because Moon Wolves are special, Aria. Rare. Worth protecting."

I wanted to believe her. But nineteen years of being called worthless had taught me to be suspicious of kindness.

"You said Moon Wolves are extinct," I said. "If I'm one, why didn't anyone know? Why didn't I know?"

"Come. Sit." She patted the log beside her. "Your legs are shaking. The first shift takes everything out of you."

She was right. My legs felt like they might give out any second. Slowly, I moved to the log and sat, keeping distance between us.

Elder Moira pulled a small flask from her bag and offered it to me. "Drink. Honey and healing herbs. It'll help with the pain."

I hesitated, then took it. The liquid was sweet and warm. Almost immediately, the ache in my muscles began to ease.

"Better?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Good." She stared up at the full moon through the canopy. "Two hundred years ago, there were dozens of Moon Wolf families. They were revered. Worshipped, even. Direct descendants of the Moon Goddess, gifted with abilities that made them nearly immortal."

"What happened to them?"

"Fear," she said simply. "Other wolves grew jealous of their power. Afraid of what they could do. Rumors spread that Moon Wolves would eventually enslave all other wolves, rule over them like gods."

I wrapped my arms around myself. "That's not true, is it?"

"No. Moon Wolves were peaceful. They used their gifts to heal, to protect, to keep balance." She sighed. "But fear doesn't need truth. It only needs a target."

"They were hunted," I guessed.

"Slaughtered," she corrected. Her voice went hard. "Packs formed alliances specifically to hunt them down. Entire families were wiped out in a single night. By the time the Alpha King of that era outlawed the hunting, it was too late. They were already gone."

My throat tightened. "Then how am I here?"

"Your parents." Elder Moira turned to look at me. "They must have hidden you. Used suppression magic so powerful it completely buried your wolf, made you appear defective."

"Why?"

"To keep you alive." She reached into her bag again and pulled out a small, faded photograph. "I found this in the pack archives years ago. I never knew why I kept it. Now I think I do."

She handed it to me.

The photo showed a young couple. The man was tall with dark hair and a warm smile. The woman had silver-blonde hair and striking eyes. They were holding a baby wrapped in a white blanket.

"That's you," Elder Moira said softly. "You were maybe six months old. Your parents brought you to the Silvermoon Pack, claiming to be rogues seeking sanctuary. Alpha Gregor took them in."

I stared at the photo. My parents. I'd never seen their faces before. Never knew what they looked like.

"What happened to them?" My voice came out hoarse.

"They died six months later. The official story was a rogue attack." Moira's expression darkened. "But I've always wondered. Your mother was found dead in the forest. Your father died defending the pack borders. Both on the same night."

"You think someone killed them."

"I think someone found out what they were hiding." She met my eyes. "And your parents died making sure no one ever found you."

Tears burned my eyes. I blinked them back. "The suppression magic. Why did it break tonight?"

"Mate rejection." Moira's voice gentled. "The pain of it, the trauma, it shattered the spell completely. Your wolf couldn't stay hidden anymore. She had to emerge to save you."

Yes, my wolf confirmed. I wouldn't let us die for him.

"What happens now?" I asked. The question felt too big, too heavy. "I have all this power, but I don't know what to do with it. I don't even know how to control it."

"Now you learn." Elder Moira stood, brushing dirt from her skirts. "You discover who you really are. What you're capable of."

"Alone?"

"If that's what you choose." She pulled something else from her bag-a small leather pouch that clinked with coins. "But you don't have to be alone, Aria. There are places where wolves like you can go. Outcasts. Rogues. Those who don't fit in traditional packs."

Hope flickered in my chest. Dangerous, foolish hope. "Where?"

"North of here. Three days on foot through the forest." She placed the pouch in my hands. "Silver coins, dried food, and a map. The Rogue Lands. It's not perfect, but it's free."

I clutched the pouch. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because someone should have helped you years ago." Her eyes held regret. "I saw how they treated you. I should have done more. This is me trying to make that right."

"What about..." I couldn't bring myself to say his name. "What about the Alpha King?"

"What about him?"

"He felt the mate bond, too. I saw it in his eyes. For just a second, before he..." I swallowed hard. "Did I imagine that?"

Moira's expression softened. "You didn't imagine it. Daemon Blackthorne felt the bond. It's not something you can hide or deny."

"Then why did he reject me?"

"Because he's young, powerful, and under tremendous pressure." She placed a weathered hand on my shoulder. "The Alpha King isn't just a man, child. He's a symbol. A leader. Every decision he makes affects thousands of wolves."

"So he chose politics over me."

"He chose duty over his heart. Right or wrong, that's what he did." She squeezed my shoulder. "But that doesn't matter now. What matters is what you want. Do you want a mate who rejected you the moment things weren't perfect?"

My wolf snarled at the thought.

Never, she growled. He had his chance.

"No," I said firmly. "I don't."

"Good." Moira released my shoulder and stepped back. "Then forget about Daemon Blackthorne. Focus on yourself. On becoming the wolf you were meant to be."

She turned to leave, then paused. "One more thing. Your power will attract attention. Not all of it is good. Some still remember the old stories. Who will want to use you or destroy you?"

A chill ran down my spine. "What do I do?"

"Trust carefully. Stay hidden when you can. And remember-you're stronger than you know." She looked back at me, her eyes serious. "The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes, Aria. You were given these gifts for a reason."

Then she was gone, melting back into the shadows like she'd never been there at all.

I sat alone in the clearing, clutching the leather pouch to my chest. Around me, the forest came alive with sounds I'd never noticed before. Owls hunting. Small animals scurrying through the underbrush. The wind is singing through the branches.

My enhanced senses picked up everything.

I thought about going back. About apologizing. About begging for a place in the pack even after everything.

Then I remembered Daemon's cold voice. "You are nothing to me."

Remembered Celeste's laugh. The pack's mocking whispers. Nineteen years of being told I was worthless.

No, my wolf said firmly. We go forward. Not back.

I opened the pouch. Inside, I found exactly what Moira promised-coins, dried meat, and a folded piece of parchment. I unfolded it carefully.

A map. Hand-drawn but detailed. The Rogue Lands were marked with an X, three days north through the Forbidden Forest.

Three days. I could do that.

I had to do that.

Because going back meant being broken Aria again. The servant. The wolfless girl everyone pitied.

Going forward meant discovering who I really was.

I stood up, legs still shaky but stronger than before. The moon hung heavy and bright above me, lighting my path.

Somewhere behind me, back at the packhouse, Daemon was probably dealing with the chaos I'd left behind. Part of me hoped he regretted his choice. Hoped he felt even a fraction of the pain he'd caused me.

But most of me just wanted to forget he existed.

Let's go, my wolf urged. Let's run.

I took one last look in the direction of the packhouse. Then I turned north and started walking.

The forest stretched endlessly before me. Dark and dangerous and full of unknowns.

But for the first time in my life, I wasn't afraid.

I was free.

[ARIA'S POV]

I walked for hours before exhaustion finally caught up with me.

The adrenaline that had carried me this far was fading. My legs felt like lead. The transformation, the rejection, the running-it was all crashing down on me at once.

We need to rest, my wolf said reluctantly. She wanted to keep going, to put as much distance as possible between us and the pack. But even she recognized our limits.

I found a small cave carved into a rocky hillside, hidden behind a curtain of hanging vines. It was barely big enough for me to sit up in, but it was dry and concealed. Perfect.

I crawled inside and collapsed against the rough stone wall.

My body ached everywhere. My dress was torn and filthy, stained with wine and dirt and sweat. My feet were bleeding from walking in thin slippers meant for serving, not hiking through a forest.

But I was alive.

That was more than I'd expected three hours ago.

I pulled out the dried meat Moira had given me and forced myself to eat. It tasted like leather, but my stomach growled gratefully. I hadn't eaten since dawn, and my body needed fuel to heal.

As I chewed, reality began to sink in.

I was alone. Truly alone. No pack. No home. No one cared if I lived or died.

The thought should have terrified me. Instead, it felt almost... liberating.

For nineteen years, I'd lived by pack rules. Wake before dawn. Work until your hands bled. Keep your head down. Don't complain. Be grateful for scraps. Accept that you're worthless.

Now? Now I could make my own rules.

We're free, my wolf reminded me. That's all that matters.

I finished eating and curled up on my side, using my arm as a pillow. The cave was cold, but my body temperature seemed higher now. Another benefit of having a wolf, apparently.

I closed my eyes, expecting sleep to come quickly.

Instead, I saw silver eyes. Heard a voice saying, "You are nothing to me."

Felt phantom pain in my chest where the mate bond had torn apart.

My eyes snapped open. My breathing came fast and shallow.

Stop thinking about him, my wolf growled. He doesn't deserve our thoughts.

She was right. Daemon Blackthorne had made his choice. He'd chosen power and politics and a perfect Luna over me. Over the mate bond the Moon Goddess herself had created.

That was his loss. His mistake.

Not mine.

I forced my breathing to slow. Focused on the sounds of the forest outside-crickets chirping, an owl hooting somewhere distant, wind rustling through leaves.

Slowly, my eyes grew heavy.

I was drifting off when I heard it.

Footsteps. Heavy. Deliberate. Coming closer.

My eyes snapped open. My wolf surged to alertness.

Not alone, she warned. Someone's hunting.

I pressed myself against the back of the cave, barely breathing. Through the vines, I saw shadows moving in the moonlight. Big shadows. Wolf-sized.

"...spread out," a rough male voice said. "She can't have gone far. Not on foot."

My heart hammered against my ribs.

"The Alpha King wants her found," another voice added. "Said whoever brings her back gets a territory of their own."

They were hunting me. Daemon had sent wolves after me.

Of course he did, my wolf snarled. Now that he knows what we are, he wants us back. Like property.

"You really think she's worth all this fuss?" A third voice, younger. "So what if she's a Moon Wolf? She's still just one girl."

"Idiot. Moon Wolves are supposed to be the most powerful wolves alive. If the Alpha King controls her, he controls that power."

Controls. Not protects. Not caring for.

Controls.

Rage flared hot in my chest. Silver light began to glow around my fingers before I could stop it.

Careful, my wolf warned. Light gives us away.

I clenched my fists, forcing the power down. The glow faded.

"Check that cave," the first voice ordered.

My blood went cold.

I heard footsteps approaching. Saw a shadow block the moonlight filtering through the vines.

Fight or run? My wolf asked.

Neither. I had no training, no idea how to actually use these powers. Running would give away my position. Fighting would probably get me killed or captured.

I needed a third option.

The vines rustled. A hand reached through, parting them.

I pressed deeper into the shadows, making myself as small as possible. Barely breathing. Barely moving.

A wolf stuck its head in-brown fur, amber eyes, scarred muzzle. He sniffed the air.

Please don't smell me. Please don't smell me.

He sniffed again. Frowned. Looked right at the spot where I was hiding.

My heart stopped.

Then he pulled back. "Nothing. Cave's empty."

I nearly collapsed with relief.

"You sure?" the first voice asked.

"Positive. Just rocks and dirt. She's not here."

How? How had he not seen me? I was right there.

The power, my wolf whispered. We hid ourselves somehow. Instinct.

The footsteps moved away. The voices faded into the distance.

I waited another twenty minutes before I dared to breathe normally. When I was sure they were gone, I crawled to the cave entrance and peeked out.

Empty. The forest was still and silent again.

But they'd come back. Or send others. Daemon wasn't going to give up that easily.

I couldn't stay here.

I grabbed the leather pouch and crawled out of the cave. My whole body protested. Every muscle screamed for rest.

But rest meant being found. Being taken back. Being controlled.

North, my wolf urged. Keep moving north.

I consulted the map by moonlight. Three days to the Rogue Lands. I'd barely made it through three hours.

But I didn't have a choice.

I started walking again, every step an act of willpower. The forest grew denser. Darker. The kind of dark where anything could be hiding.

Several times, I heard sounds that made my wolf bristle-howls in the distance, branches snapping, something large moving through the underbrush.

Each time, I froze. Waited. Moved on when the coast was clear.

Dawn was just starting to lighten the sky when I finally hit a small stream. My throat was parched, my feet were bleeding worse than before, and I was pretty sure I'd never been this tired in my entire life.

I collapsed at the water's edge and drank deeply. The cold water tasted like heaven.

When I was done, I splashed my face and looked at my reflection in the still water.

A stranger looked back.

My hair was a tangled mess, full of leaves and twigs. My dress was torn beyond repair. But it was my eyes that caught me.

They still glowed. Faintly, but noticeably. Silver light emanated from pupils that seemed larger than they should be.

Moon Wolf eyes.

I touched my reflection, watching the water ripple and reform.

Who was I now? Not Aria Winters, the broken servant girl. That girl had died on the packhouse floor.

But I didn't know who this new person was yet. This powerful, hunted stranger with magic in her veins and rage in her heart.

You're whoever you choose to be, my wolf said. That's the gift. That's the freedom.

A twig snapped behind me.

I spun around, silver light flaring around my hands instinctively.

A young wolf stood at the tree line. Gray fur. Blue eyes. Smaller than the hunters from earlier.

We stared at each other.

Run or fight? My wolf asked again.

The wolf shifted. A girl appeared, maybe sixteen or seventeen. Thin, with dark hair and wary eyes. She wore rough-spun clothes that marked her as a rogue.

"You're her," the girl breathed. "The Moon Wolf everyone's talking about."

My heart raced. "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't lie. I can see your eyes." She took a step closer. "Word's already spreading. The Alpha King rejected his fated mate, and she turned out to be a Moon Wolf. Half the packs in the territory are looking for you."

I backed up toward the stream. "Are you going to turn me in?"

The girl laughed. It was a bitter sound. "Turn you into pack wolves? Not likely. They banished me two years ago for being 'too weak.' Why would I help them?"

Some of the tension left my shoulders. "Then what do you want?"

"To warn you." She glanced back toward the forest. "More hunters are coming. Not just pack wolves. Mercenaries. Bounty hunters. The reward for bringing you back is too good. Everyone wants a piece of it."

"How far am I from the Rogue Lands?"

"Two and a half days if you push hard. Less if you can run in wolf form." Her eyes studied me. "But you're new to this, aren't you? Just shifted for the first time."

I nodded.

"Then you won't make it alone. Not with everyone hunting you." She paused. "I can help. I know the forest. Know the safe paths. The places to hide."

"Why would you help me?"

The girl smiled, and there was something fierce in it. "Because the pack of wolves threw me away like garbage. Just like they did to you. I'd love to see them lose the one thing they actually want back."

I studied her. Looked for deception. Found only anger that mirrored my own.

She's like us, my wolf said. Cast out. Rejected. She understands.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Elena." She held out her hand. "And I'm guessing you want to get to the Rogue Lands without being caught?"

I looked at her hand. At this stranger offering help when I desperately needed it.

Moira's warning echoed in my mind. "Trust carefully."

But I also remembered something else she'd said. "You don't have to be alone."

I took Elena's hand. "I'm Aria."

"I know." Elena's smile widened. "Everyone knows. You're famous now. The Moon Wolf who rejected the Alpha King back."

"I didn't reject him. I just accepted his rejection."

"Same thing to everyone else." She squeezed my hand once and let go. "Come on. I know a place where we can rest safely. Then we'll get you to the Rogue Lands."

She started walking, and after a moment's hesitation, I followed.

The sun was rising now, painting the sky pink and gold. A new day.

A new beginning.

And for the first time since the rejection, I felt something other than pain.

Hope.

[ARIA'S POV]

Elena led me deeper into the forest, away from the stream and into territory I'd never seen before.

"Stay close," she whispered. "And step where I step. There are traps around here."

"Traps?" My exhausted brain struggled to process that. "Who sets traps in the middle of the forest?"

"Rogues. Hunters. Paranoid pack wolves." She hopped over a pile of leaves that looked identical to every other pile. "This is the Forbidden Forest for a reason. Most wolves who come in here don't come back out."

Great. That was comforting.

But I followed her anyway, mimicking her steps as best I could. My feet screamed with every step. My whole body felt like one giant bruise.

We need real rest, my wolf said. Soon. Or we'll collapse.

I knew. I could feel my energy draining with each passing minute. The transformation had taken everything out of me, and I hadn't exactly recovered before running for my life.

"How much farther?" I asked, hating how weak my voice sounded.

"Not far. Maybe another ten minutes."

Ten minutes. I could manage ten minutes. I had to.

We walked in silence, Elena occasionally stopping to sniff the air or listen for sounds I couldn't hear yet. She moved with the practiced ease of someone who'd spent years surviving in hostile territory. Every step was deliberate. Every movement is efficient.

I tried to copy her grace and failed miserably. I stumbled over roots, nearly walked face-first into a low branch, and made enough noise to wake every creature within a mile.

Elena glanced back at me, sympathy flickering across her face. "You'll get better. Wolf senses take time to adjust to."

"How long?"

"Depends. Most wolves have years to learn. You're doing a crash course in survival." She ducked under a fallen log. "But you're alive. That's what matters."

Fair point.

"How long have you been out here?" I asked quietly, needing the distraction from my aching body.

"Two years. Since I was fifteen." She didn't look back, but her shoulders tensed. "Got banished from the Clearwater Pack for refusing an arranged mating. Alpha said I was too defiant. Too stubborn."

My chest tightened. "That's not a reason to banish someone."

Elena laughed, but there was no humor in it. "It is when the Alpha's son is the one you refused. Apparently, rejecting the future Alpha's claim is a crime worthy of exile."

Another wolf was cast out for refusing to be controlled. Another life destroyed by pack politics and male ego.

"I'm sorry," I said softly.

"Don't be." She glanced back, her blue eyes hard as ice. "Best thing that ever happened to me. I'd rather be free and hungry than caged and comfortable. Out here, I answer to no one. Do what I want. Go where I please."

I understood that more than she knew. Even after just a few hours, I understood it completely.

We pushed through a thick wall of thorny bushes. Elena showed me a hidden gap I never would have found alone, and we emerged into a small clearing.

A crude shelter stood in the center. More of a lean-to than a real structure, built from branches and bark and scavenged materials. But it had walls and a roof, which was more than I'd had last night.

"Welcome to my palace," Elena said with a slight smile. "It's not much, but it keeps the rain off and the wolves out."

I was too tired to care about aesthetics. "It's perfect."

Inside, the shelter was surprisingly organized. A pile of furs in one corner for sleeping. A small fire pit ringed with stones. Dried herbs hanging from the ceiling. A collection of scavenged items-a dented pot, a hunting knife, various tools, even a few battered books.

Elena had built herself a life out here. Alone. At fifteen.

"Sit," she ordered, pointing to the furs. "You look like you're about to fall over."

I didn't argue. I collapsed onto the furs and nearly cried at how good it felt to be off my feet. Every muscle in my body went limp with relief.

Elena knelt by the fire pit and started building a small fire with practiced efficiency. She arranged kindling, struck flint to steel, and within minutes flames crackled to life, filling the shelter with warmth and dancing light.

"Give me your feet," she said without looking up.

"What?"

"Your feet. They're bleeding all over my furs." She pulled out a small tin from a wooden box and opened it, revealing some kind of green paste that smelled like mint and something earthy. "Healing salve. It'll hurt, but it'll keep them from getting infected."

I hesitated, then slowly extended my legs. My feet were a disaster-cuts, blisters, dried blood, swollen skin. I'd been so focused on running, on surviving, that I hadn't noticed how bad it was.

Elena took one look and winced. "You walked through the Forbidden Forest in house slippers?"

"They're what I was wearing when I..." I trailed off. When I got rejected. When my entire life imploded. When I lost everything and gained everything in the same breath.

"Right." Her voice softened considerably. "Well, you're tougher than you look. Most pampered pack wolves would've given up hours ago."

She began cleaning my feet with surprisingly gentle hands. The water stung like fire. The salve burned even worse. I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood, determined not to cry out.

"I know," Elena murmured, not looking up from her work. "Almost done. Just breathe through it."

When she finished, she wrapped both feet in clean strips of cloth torn from what looked like an old shirt. "That should hold until your wolf healing kicks in properly. Being a Moon Wolf, you'll probably heal faster than most. Should be good as new by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you." The words felt inadequate. This stranger was showing me more kindness than my own pack ever had in nineteen years.

Elena shrugged and moved to the fire, pulling out a cloth-wrapped bundle. "You hungry? I have some rabbit from yesterday. It's not fresh, but it's food. Better than nothing."

My stomach growled loudly in answer.

She laughed, and this time it sounded genuine. "I'll take that as a yes."

While Elena prepared the food, I let myself relax for the first time since the rejection. The shelter was warm. Safe. Hidden from the world that wanted to use me or destroy me.

For this moment, I wasn't being hunted. Wasn't running. Wasn't in constant pain.

For this moment, I could just be.

"Can I ask you something?" Elena's voice broke the comfortable silence.

"Sure."

"What was it like? The transformation?" She stared into the fire, orange light dancing across her face. "I've been a wolf since I was thirteen. Normal shift. Expected. I can't imagine what it must have been like to go nineteen years without one and then suddenly... that."

"It hurt," I said honestly. "Like dying and being reborn at the same time. Like every piece of me was being torn apart and put back together wrong. Or maybe right for the first time."

I paused, trying to find words for something that defied language.

"But underneath the pain was something else. Power. This overwhelming feeling of finally being complete. Like I'd been half a person my whole life and didn't even know it. Like I'd been walking around with a missing piece and suddenly it clicked into place."

Elena nodded slowly, still staring at the flames. "And the Alpha King. He really rejected you? Even knowing you were his fated mate? Feeling the bond?"

The question made my chest ache. The ghost of the severed bond throbbed like a healing wound.

"He didn't know what I was when he rejected me," I said quietly. "He just saw a wolfless servant. Someone worthless. Someone who would embarrass him in front of the other Alphas."

"That's not an excuse."

"I know." I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. "He felt the mate bond. I saw it in his eyes. Saw the recognition. The shock. Maybe even desire for just a second. But then he chose politics over destiny. Choose what his council wanted over what the Moon Goddess intended."

"Do you still feel it? The bond?"

I thought about that. Really thought about it. The bond was severed-I'd accepted his rejection, broken it myself with those formal words. But there was still something there. A ghost. A shadow. An ache that wouldn't quite fade, no matter how much I wanted it to.

"Yes," I admitted. "Not like before. Not that overwhelming pull. But I can still feel where it broke. Like a scar that hasn't quite healed. Like a phantom limb that's not there anymore but still hurts."

"That's rough." Elena handed me a wooden bowl filled with shredded rabbit meat mixed with some kind of root vegetable. "But maybe it's better this way. Now you're free to choose your own path. Your own destiny. No one telling you what to do or who to be."

I took the bowl gratefully, the warmth seeping into my cold hands. "That's what everyone keeps saying. Freedom. Choice. But I don't know what my path is supposed to be. Yesterday, my biggest concern was scrubbing floors without getting hit. Now I'm some legendary wolf everyone wants to capture or kill or control."

"So make it up as you go." Elena settled across from me with her own bowl, cross-legged and relaxed. "That's what rogues do. We survive. We adapt. We become whoever we need to be. There's power in that. Real power. Not the kind of packs that give you. The kind you take for yourself."

I ate slowly, savoring each bite. The meat was tough and gamey, the vegetables slightly bitter, but it was the best thing I'd ever tasted. Or maybe I was just that hungry.

As I ate, exhaustion pulled at me like a physical weight. My eyelids grew heavy. The warmth of the fire, the full stomach, the safety of the shelter, Elena's quiet presence-it all combined to drag me toward sleep I desperately needed.

"Rest," Elena said softly when she saw me struggling to stay awake. "I'll keep watch. You're safe here. I promise."

"But the hunters-"

"Won't find this place. I've hidden here for two years. Dozens of wolves have passed within feet of here and never found it. There's old magic in these woods. It hides what wants to be hidden." She moved to the entrance, positioning herself between me and the outside world. "Sleep, Moon Wolf. You've earned it. We'll figure out the next step when you wake up."

I wanted to protest. Wanted to stay alert. Wanted to be useful instead of a burden.

But my body had other ideas.

I lay down on the furs, and the moment my head touched the soft material, sleep claimed me like a lover's embrace.

For the first time in my life, I didn't dream of the packhouse. Didn't dream of scrubbing floors or cruel voices or being invisible.

I dreamed of running through silver moonlight. Of power flowing through my veins like starlight. Of forests that stretched forever and freedom so vast and wild it took my breath away.

I dreamed of becoming someone new.

Someone powerful.

Someone who would never bow her head again.