Mira half-carried Selene through the forest.
The path was invisible. Just forest floor and undergrowth. But Mira moved with certainty, knowing every root and stone.
Selene barely registered where they were going. Her exhaustion was total. Physical and emotional.
She'd been running on fear and grief for so long. Now that she was safe, her body was shutting down.
"Almost there," Mira murmured. "Just a little further, pup."
The hillside appeared ahead. Covered in ivy and moss. It looked like natural terrain.
Then Mira pushed aside a curtain of vines.
A door. Hidden. Built into the hill itself.
She pushed it open and guided Selene inside.
The cabin was small. One room carved into the hillside. But it felt solid. Safe.
Herbs hung from the rafters, drying. Their scent filled the air. Lavender and sage and something sharper Selene didn't recognize.
Weapons lined one wall. Daggers. Short swords. A bow and quiver of arrows. All well-maintained. Ready for use.
A small hearth sat cold in the corner. A cot against another wall. A rough wooden table with two chairs.
Simple. Clean. Functional.
It was the most beautiful place Selene had ever seen.
Because it meant safety. Rest. An end to running.
Mira guided her to the cot. Laid her down gently.
"Let me see those feet."
She knelt. Examined Selene's bloody, blistered feet with gentle hands.
"You walked all night on these. Stubborn pup."
She moved to a shelf. Pulled down jars and bandages. Brought them back.
"This will sting."
She cleaned the wounds with something that burned. Selene bit her lip. Didn't cry out.
She'd survived worse than stinging medicine.
Mira wrapped her feet in clean bandages. Tied them securely.
"There. They'll heal. Wolves heal fast. Even young ones."
She stood. Fetched a clay cup and a pitcher of water.
"Drink. Slowly. Not too much at once or you'll make yourself sick."
Selene took the cup with shaking hands. Brought it to her lips.
The water was cold. Clean. It tasted like heaven.
She wanted to gulp it all. Drown in it. But she forced herself to sip. Slowly.
Mira returned with bread and dried meat. Set them on a small plate.
"Eat. You need your strength."
Selene stared at the food. When had she last eaten?
The feast. Before the soldiers came. Before everything ended.
A lifetime ago.
Her stomach cramped with sudden hunger. She grabbed the bread. Tore into it with her teeth.
It was rough. Plain. Nothing like the honeyed bread from the feast.
It was the best thing she'd ever tasted.
She ate like an animal. Shoving food into her mouth. Barely chewing. Desperate.
Mira watched. Didn't comment. Just let her eat.
When the plate was empty, Selene looked up. Almost ashamed.
"More?" Mira asked.
Selene nodded.
Mira brought more bread. More meat. A piece of hard cheese.
Selene ate it all.
Finally, her stomach felt full. The gnawing hunger eased.
She set down the empty plate. Her hands were shaking less now.
Mira sat in one of the chairs. Watching her with those sharp amber eyes.
"You walked through the night alone. Survived an attack by rogues. Made it all the way here on bleeding feet."
She leaned forward.
"You're stronger than you think, pup."
"I don't feel strong. I feel broken."
"Broken and strong aren't opposites. Sometimes breaking is what makes you stronger."
Mira stood. Fetched a blanket. Draped it over Selene.
"Rest now. We'll talk more when you wake."
"I can't sleep. The nightmares..."
"Will come whether you sleep or not. Might as well rest your body while your mind fights its battles."
Selene wanted to argue. But exhaustion pulled at her like an ocean current.
Her eyes closed.
"Who are you?" she mumbled. "Really?"
"A former pack warrior. Someone who left civilized wolf society behind."
"Why?"
"Because I got tired of politics. Of Alphas using wolves like chess pieces. Of loyalty being rewarded with betrayal."
Mira's voice was distant. Bitter.
"I help refugees now. Wolves fleeing pack violence. Political purges. Forced matings. Anyone who needs to disappear."
"Is that what I am? A refugee?"
"You're a survivor. There's a difference."
Selene's eyes opened slightly. "You heard about what happened. About my family."
"The whole southern territory heard. Damian's purge of the rebellion. So many dead."
Selene's hands clenched under the blanket. "It wasn't a rebellion. My father was loyal. He toasted the Alpha King at dinner. Swore allegiance."
Mira's expression darkened. "Doesn't matter to tyrants. Loyalty is just an excuse they use before the slaughter."
"He murdered my family because he was afraid. Because of this."
Selene touched the mark on her forehead.
Mira crossed the room. Knelt beside the cot. Her fingers reached out. Touched the crimson crescent gently.
"This is why they came for you specifically. The Crimson Crescent. The prophecy."
"Everyone keeps saying that. But I'm just a child. I don't have power. I can't even shift properly yet."
"You will. The mark amplifies what's already there. Your wolf. Your strength. Everything."
Mira's hand dropped.
"And that scares the powerful. Because marked wolves can't be controlled. Can't be manipulated. They're too strong. Too dangerous."
"I don't want to be dangerous. I don't want to be special."
Selene's voice broke.
"I just want my family back. I want Isolde back. I want to wake up and have this all be a nightmare."
"I know, pup."
Mira's voice was soft. Almost maternal.
"But wanting won't change what's already ash. Your family is gone. Your home is destroyed. The life you had is over."
The words should have been cruel. But they weren't. They were honest.
"The question is," Mira continued, "what are you going to do now?"
Selene met her eyes.
Something inside her shifted. The grief was still there. Raw and bleeding. But underneath it, something colder. Harder.
Hate.
"I'm going to kill him," she said. Her voice was steady. Cold. "Alpha King Damian. I'm going to make him pay for what he did."
Mira studied her for a long moment. Those amber eyes seeing everything.
"You mean that."
"Yes."
"You're ten years old. He's the Alpha King. Surrounded by guards. Protected by armies."
"I don't care how long it takes. I'll get stronger. I'll learn to fight. I'll become whatever I need to become."
Selene's hand found her father's dagger under the blanket.
"And then I'll kill him. For Mama. For Papa. For Isolde. For everyone he murdered."
Silence filled the cabin.
Then Mira nodded slowly.
"Then you'll need to learn to fight."