Her crystal still glowed with that slanderous howl-alert, the pack channels overflowing with poison and scorn.
But the Sanctuary Oath she had just signed and the passage to distant lands—those were her only way out.
Five years beyond these borders.
Perhaps that was for the best.
Leave this territory of betrayal and pain. Leave these wolves who had shattered her heart. Maybe then she could finally begin to live again.
Back in her chambers, Lyra sealed the heavy oak door behind her and pressed her spine against the cold wood, releasing a long, shuddering breath.
Her fingertips found her throbbing temples, pressing hard as she forced down the surge of hurt and anguish that threatened to overwhelm her wolf entirely. The beast within whimpered, curling tight in her chest.
The past was done. Since she had made the decision to flee beyond the borders, there was no sense in dwelling on wounds that could not be healed. She crossed to her writing desk and settled into the chair, opening the leather-bound ledger that held her accounts.