Chapter Five

The woods had always been my escape.

When the world inside the pack house felt too loud or too crowded, I would come here.

Among the trees, I could breathe again. I could think.

Today, though, even the trees felt different.

Heavier. Sadder.

I sat on the old stone ledge by the creek, my feet dangling over the water, watching the current slip past.

It was strange to think that I had already passed my "shifting year."

The year when a young wolf was supposed to fully bond with her wolf spirit, claim her place in the pack, and move forward into the next chapter of her life.

I was just out of time.

And I felt no closer to understanding where I belonged.

"You look like you're carrying the whole world on your shoulders," came a voice behind me.

I turned to see Amara, one of the younger pack females, walking toward me with a basket of herbs in her arms. Her brown hair was pulled back, her face flushed from the sun.

"I feel like I am," I said with a weak smile.

She dropped the basket and sat down beside me.

For a moment, we just listened to the creek together.

"You're thinking about leaving, aren't you?" she said after a while.

I blinked. "What makes you say that?"

She shrugged. "You've had that look lately. The one like you're standing in two different places at once."

I laughed softly, but it hurt a little. "Maybe because I am."

Amara fiddled with the edge of her skirt. "Where would you even go?"

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "Maybe... somewhere beyond the human hills. Maybe to find my mother."

Her eyes widened. "You're still thinking about her?"

"Always," I said quietly. "Especially after... after everything Father told me."

Amara bit her lip. "Luciana... if you go looking for her, you might not come back. The human world... it's not safe for us."

"I know." I traced a finger through the dirt. "But staying here feels just as dangerous. Every day, I feel like I'm slipping away. Like... like the wolf inside me is fading."

Her hand touched my arm gently. "You're not fading. You're strong."

I looked into her kind brown eyes and forced a smile. "Thanks."

But her words didn't reach the ache inside me.

Because deep down, I knew something was changing.

I could feel it, like a shifting current inside my chest.

And I was running out of time to stop it.

Later that evening, back at the pack house, the celebration had already begun.

It was a feast night. The hunters had brought back a huge kill, and Father insisted we honor it with a full table and music.

The halls were decorated with wildflowers. Laughter and clinking glasses filled the air.

But I barely tasted the food.

I barely heard the music.

All I could think about was how full the house was—and yet how empty I felt inside.

I stood by one of the tall windows, a glass of cider forgotten in my hand, and watched the golden sun slip toward the horizon.

"Luciana."

I turned.

Father stood behind me, a heavy fur cloak thrown over his shoulders. He smelled of pine and smoke.

"You've been quiet tonight," he said.

I shrugged. "Just tired."

He studied me for a long moment. His face was a little softer than usual.

"You know," he said, "you don't have to rush. Your mate will come. Your future will find you."

I smiled politely, but inside, I flinched.

He didn't understand.

"I know," I said.

"Ronan and Caden still ask about you," he added, almost teasing.

"I didn't feel the bond with either of them," I said simply.

His face tightened, just a little. "Sometimes bonds can grow over time."

"Maybe," I said, trying to sound agreeable.

But we both knew the truth.

A fated bond didn't need time. It was supposed to strike like lightning, undeniable and fierce.

I hadn't felt that with Ronan or Caden.

And pretending otherwise would be a bigger betrayal than leaving.

Father sighed. "I just want what's best for you, Luciana."

"I know," I said, and I meant it.

But what was best for me... might not be here.

Might not be Thornridge at all.

I slipped away from the celebration before it ended.

No one noticed. Or if they did, no one stopped me.

The night air was cool and sharp, full of crickets and the distant howls of patrolling wolves.

I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders and wandered toward the old training fields.

The grass was tall now, almost up to my knees.

No one trained here much anymore. Most of the young wolves had already bonded with their mates and moved into new packs.

I was the last one left.

The thought twisted painfully in my chest.

I sank down in the grass and stared up at the stars.

"What am I supposed to do?" I whispered aloud.

The stars didn't answer.

The wind didn't carry some magical message.

But deep inside, I felt it.

A pull.

A longing.

A call.

I closed my eyes and let myself imagine.

Imagine stepping through the human world, finding my mother, bringing her home.

Imagine the missing part of me finally falling into place.

Imagine the wolf inside me roaring back to life.

But there were dangers too.

If I stayed too long among humans, the prophecy said I would become fully human myself.

Lose my wolf forever.

And if that happened...

I wouldn't belong anywhere.

Not with the humans.

Not with the wolves.

I would be nothing.

Tears pricked my eyes. I swiped them away angrily.

I hated feeling weak.

"You're stronger than you know," I whispered to myself.

Maybe it wasn't strength that kept me here all these years.

Maybe it was fear.

Fear of disappointing my father.

Fear of stepping into the unknown.

Fear of failing.

I sat there until the stars blurred together.

Until the air grew cold and the first hints of morning brushed the sky with gray.

And somewhere deep inside me, a decision began to form.

I couldn't stay here forever.

I couldn't wait for fate to drop a mate into my lap.

I had to fight for my future.

Even if it meant risking everything.

Even if it meant walking away from Thornridge.

I stood up, brushing the grass from my cloak.

The shifting year was ending.

And so was my waiting.

It was time to move.