Anabel.
The crunch of dry gravel beneath my boots was supposed to sound like freedom.
We were less than a mile from the western border, where the dark mountain ridge flattened into the neutral territories. Beyond the treeline lay a completely different world—one without ancient pack rivalries, without blood-soaked court politics, and without the suffocating weight of my family's expectations. I was supposed to be relieved. I was supposed to be looking forward to a quiet, peaceful life far away from the storm brewing behind us.
Beside me, Valerie pulled her dark traveling cloak tighter around her shoulders, her bright eyes scanning the moonlit path ahead with a small, hopeful smile.
"We're almost across the boundary, Lady Anabel," Valerie whispered, her voice light and breathless with excitement. "Just a few more minutes and we're clear. No more Alphas, no more war, no more hiding."
"Yeah," I murmured, forcing a small, tight nod. "Almost clear."
