The forest around me grew darker with each painful step. Julian was gone—he'd chosen Natalie yet again, leaving me stranded on this unfamiliar road with nothing but my twisted ankle and shattered dignity.
I limped forward, fighting back tears. The pain shooting up my leg was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. Five years of neglect, and still, each betrayal cut deeper than the last.
"He's not coming back," I whispered to myself, the words hanging heavy in the cool night air.
The road stretched endlessly before me, a winding path through dense trees with no signs of civilization. My phone was dead. My wolf was too weak to shift. And the nearest pack house was miles away.
I chose the path that sloped downward, hoping it might lead to town. Each step was a reminder of my vulnerability—the unofficial Luna of the Silvercrest Pack, reduced to hobbling alone through dangerous territory.
The snap of a twig behind me made me freeze.
