Lyra's POV
"Move with them! Head straight north!" Tobias barked urgently. "Get to Alpha Ezra directly! It's too risky to take any detours!"
Beckett bobbed his head rapidly in understanding.
"Best of luck, young fighter!" Tobias clapped Beckett's shoulder before he and Magnus rushed back toward the front entrance, where dozens of shifters had encircled our hideout.
Terror flooded through me as I seized Tobias's hand, shaking my head desperately. I couldn't let him go—not like this. I yanked both him and Magnus toward the hidden passage, trying to pull them along with us.
But Tobias resisted, shaking his head firmly. "That won't work, my queen. We have to hold them here. We'll buy you precious time—make them believe you're still trapped somewhere inside. If they discover the house is empty, they'll comb the forest immediately. We won't make it to Alpha Ezra's territory."
