"Kellan?" My voice trembled. Speaking his name after so many winters brought back memories of running through forest paths under the full moon.
"How are you?"
"I am well, Mireya." A short pause followed. "Are you safe? Your voice sounds troubled."
Even now, after nine winters apart, he could still sense my pain.
"I am..." I tried to lie, but the words refused to come. "No. I am not safe in my heart."
"What has happened?"
I held the communication stone tightly, watching torchlights flicker outside the hired carriage. "This territory... it is not what I believed it would be. I thought I could build a future here, but..." My throat tightened. "I want to return to our homeland, Kellan."
"Then come home."
No hesitation. No anger. Just warmth.
"I will send one of my men. Stay at the Moonrest Inn near the eastern gates until we arrange everything."
Two hours later, I sat on the edge of a neatly made bed inside a quiet room at the Moonrest Inn. The scent of burning herbs lingered in the air. My hands twisted together as heavy footsteps approached along the wooden corridor.
A knock sounded.
My heart pounded. For a moment I feared it would be Zarek standing there.
I opened the door.
A tall warrior stood before me. His dark hair brushed his forehead and his green eyes were sharp like a hunting wolf. A fitted leather tunic covered his broad chest and a sword rested at his side.
"Mireya?" His voice was deep and steady. "My name is Bastien Raventhorn. Your brother sent me."
I studied him carefully. He carried himself like a trained Beta. Strong but controlled. His gaze was intense, yet not cruel.
"May I enter?"
I stepped aside.
The small room felt tighter with his presence, though he moved with calm ease.
"Are you holding up?" His eyes shifted to the small travel bag at the foot of the bed.
"I am managing." I folded my arms to hide their trembling. "I just need time to think."
"That is understandable." He rested one shoulder lightly against the wooden wall.
"How long have you served my brother?"
A faint smile touched his lips. "Long enough."
"That tells me very little."
"I prefer silence over stories."
I tried again. "What is it you do for him?"
"I stand at his side." He glanced toward the window. "Our horses are ready. We will return to your den first to gather what you need, then ride straight to the air docks before dawn."
"Horses?" I blinked. "That seems excessive."
"It is necessary."
"For what?" The question slipped out.
He only gave that same calm look. "Your brother handles matters carefully."
The private inn chamber. The armed escort. This warrior who carried himself like someone from a ruling bloodline. None of it matched the brother I remembered. Kellan had always been protective, but this level of preparation felt different. What had he become in these nine winters?
"You look surprised," Bastien observed.
"I did not expect this. The private room. The escort." I searched his face. "Who exactly are you?"
"I am someone your brother trusts with his life." His small crystal stone glowed faintly. "The horses grow restless. Are you ready?"
Outside, two powerful black stallions waited, their breath visible in the cold night air. Bastien mounted smoothly and offered his hand to help me onto the second horse.
The ride through the moonlit streets felt unreal. Stone buildings passed by in silence. The scent of night wind and distant forest filled my lungs.
"This feels different," I murmured.
"Different from what?"
"Zarek holds wealth and status. But this..." I looked at the disciplined way Bastien rode. "This feels like power that does not need to be shown."
He said nothing, but I sensed a quiet agreement.
We stopped before my stone den within Dreadhowl territory.
"I will wait here," Bastien said as he dismounted. "Take only what you truly need."
I nodded and walked toward the wooden door. My fingers trembled around the iron key.
The door creaked open.
The moment I stepped inside, my world shattered.
