NADIA
The moon sat high above us, spilling silver light across the old familiar roads of my pack. Kerlin walked beside me, his steps steady, while mine carried a weight too heavy to name.
I told him I wanted to see the land again, breathe it in, feel it, touch it. Maybe even reclaim the parts of me that had been torn away.
We took the quiet paths, the ones the elders used when they wanted to be alone. Kerlin let me walk ahead, understanding without words that I needed the space. The air smelled of wet soil and old trees. It smelled of home.
We had just crossed the eastern field when I heard it.
A soft groan. Ragged breathing.
I froze.
Kerlin stiffened beside me, his hand already moving to the dagger at his belt. I searched the shadows, my heart slamming against my ribs.
There, near the pack's outer entrance, lay a figure. Bloodied. Broken.
My feet moved before my mind caught up. I stumbled toward the body, falling to my knees beside him.
