Lyralei’s lungs burned as she crashed through the undergrowth. Branches whipped at her face and arms but she didn’t slow down. Couldn’t slow down even.
This felt familiar in the worst way. Running through a forest while being hunted. She’d done this just a day and a half ago, fleeing from Alpha Aldric and his wolves after she’d beaten Theron bloody at their wedding.
A day and a half. That was all it had been. It felt like weeks had passed since she’d jumped off that cliff.
Her confidence started to crack around the edges. Back then, she’d been caught so easily. They’d tracked her to the cliff edge in less than an hour despite everything she’d tried. Her father’s training that had helped her survive in the woods as a child didn’t even help, a bit.
What if it wasn’t enough?
She pushed t
