"And next time," she murmured, "he won't be testing me."
The words settled between them, quiet but certain.
No one argued.
Not Draven. Not Lyanna. Not even the wolves scattered through the forest, though their restless pacing spoke louder than any voice.
Something had shifted.
The trials were over but the sense of being watched hadn't left. If anything, it had deepened.
Selara exhaled slowly and turned away from the treeline. The clearing felt smaller now, tighter, as though the forest had begun to close in around them.
"We shouldn't stay here," she said.
Draven nodded immediately. "Agreed."
Fenryk's pack began to regroup, their movements low and alert. Even the strongest among them carried tension in their shoulders, ears flicking at every distant sound.
Lyanna stepped forward, her expression unreadable.
"You're both right," she said. "This place has served its purpose. What comes next won't happen here."
Selara glanced at her. "You knew this would happen."
