“They won’t for long,” the stranger said flatly. His tone was calm, almost emotionless.
The driver swerved sharply, taking a narrow road that cut through the forest. I held onto the seat, my heart hammering. I didn’t know who this man was, but I could sense power radiating from him. His presence was cold yet strangely reassuring.
When the sound of the chasing cars finally faded, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. My knees trembled, my palms were sweaty.
“Who are you?” I asked, my voice shaking slightly.
He didn’t look at me. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead. “A friend of your brother,” he said simply. “He asked me to bring you home.”
“Home…” I repeated the word quietly, as if I’d forgotten what it meant.
The word tasted unfamiliar on my tongue. I’d called Stormvale Pack my home for years, but it was nothing more than a gilded cage. And now, here I was, leaving everything behind, my heart shattered and my pride crushed.
“Can I know your name?” I asked again, though I didn’t expect much.
He glanced at me briefly, his expression unreadable. “Names don’t matter right now,” he said. “Rest. You’ve had enough pain for one night.”