The town had changed.

  Rynaria could feel it in the way people spoke in hushed voices, the way conversations stopped when she passed too close. The safety she had once felt blending into the background was gone, replaced by a growing tension she could not ignore.

  Kael’s warning echoed in her mind. They’re watching.

  She pulled the hood of her cloak tighter, weaving through the marketplace without drawing attention. Every instinct screamed at her to run, but she forced herself to stay calm. To leave too soon, too visibly, would only confirm the suspicions already taking root.

  Lyana waited for her near the edge of town, cloaked in shadows. Her expression was grim.

  “They know,” she said without preamble. “It’s spreading through the pack. Whispers about the elf girl and the alpha’s son.”

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Rynaria’s heart twisted painfully. She had hoped for more time.

  “How much do they know?” she asked, voice low.

  “Enough.” Lyana’s gaze softened. “You have to leave, Rynaria. Tonight.”

  Rynaria clenched her fists. She had known this moment would come. Had tried to prepare for it. But now that it was here, the thought of leaving without a word, without seeing Kael one last time, was harder than she had imagined.

  “Will they come after me?” she asked.

  Lyana hesitated. “Some will. The older ones... they see your presence as a threat to the old laws. Kael can only shield you for so long.”

  The mention of his name was a knife to the chest.

  Rynaria nodded slowly. “I’ll leave before sunset.”

  Lyana’s relief was palpable. “I’ll prepare a route. One they won’t expect.”

  “Thank you,” Rynaria whispered.

  They parted ways quickly, disappearing into opposite streets. Rynaria moved through the town with deliberate slowness, making her final preparations. She had no illusions about the journey ahead. Alone, hunted, she would be vulnerable. But staying was no longer an option.

  As she passed the blacksmith’s shop, she caught sight of Kael.

  He was speaking to one of his father’s advisors, his posture tense, his expression carved from stone. When his eyes lifted and found hers across the crowd, something unspoken passed between them—regret, warning, something deeper.

  He gave the faintest shake of his head.

  Go.

  Rynaria turned away before her heart could betray her.

  The winds had shifted. The path before her was dangerous and uncertain.

  But it was hers to walk.

  Alone.