bChapter /bb222 /b

    ra’s POV

    “Wait. You don’t want me following you?” Dario’s voice cracked with disbelief. “But the King specifically told me to-”

    “The King’s not here,” I snapped, my voice cold. “And you saw how those people treated me, Dario. No respect. I need to flip the script, make them believe I can be Queen. This hunt is my chance to prove myself.”

    Dario’s brow furrowed deeper, his concern obvious. “You’re telling me you can hunt alone, Lady ra? Fine. But I’ll still followi. /iIt’s my duty to protect you.”

    “If you follow me into the woods, Dario, it ruins everything,” I said, frustration simmering in my chest. “They won’t believe I did it. They’ll say you helped. What’s the point of that?”

    His lips pressed into a thin line, torn between duty and reluctance. I saw the tension in his eyes. If I’d asked him a week ago, he would have never agreed to leave me behind. But trust had built between us since then, especially after that baseball game. And that trust was my weapon inow/i.

    “Just give me this one shot, Dario,” I urged. “All I’m asking for is the chance to prove myself.”

    He exhaled sharply, his shoulders sagging as if the weight of the decision had crushed him. “…Fine,” he muttered, barely above a whisper.

    A wave of relief hit me, and I could’ve sworn I felt light on my feet. “Thank you.”

    He groaned, almost pained. “The King will kill me if he finds out about this…”

    I shed him a grin, full of mischief. “I’ll make sure he never finds out.”

    That was a lie, of course. Once the hunt started, I nned to vanish into the woods, leaving behind nothing but the echoes of my footsteps.

    And Thorne… I would have to face him eventually, but not yet.

    I faked a sneeze, hoping to get him to offer his jacket. I was already setting my n into motion.

    “Are you cold?” Dario asked, his voiceced with concern. “Where’s your jacket?”

    I shrugged, feigning indifference. “I left it in my room.”

    “Take mine,” he insisted, without hesitation.

    Perfect.

    His jacket was warm, the scent of him thick in the air. More importantly, it would mask my own scent, throw off anyone who might try to track me.

    I pulled it tight around my shoulders, the weight of it strangelyforting. “Thanks. Let’s go. Don’t want to keep the others waiting.”

    The sound of hooves echoed in the crisp air as we urged the horses forward, their rhythm a steady beat against the silence of the mountains. The jagged peaks loomed in the distance, guarding the secrets they held like ancient sentinels.

    As iwe /iapproached the designated hunting site, the sounds of barking hounds and the buzz of conversation filled the air.

    The group halted, dismounting and checking their weapons. Elder Robert climbed onto a rock, his voice carrying over the chatter.

    “Good morning, fellow hunters!” he called out. “We’re hunting in this part of the mountain today. Deer, boars, bison… maybe even a bear or two. But don’t wander too far into the North, near the borderline. That’s where the mist forest lies. Not even the Lycans like to get lost in there. Stick bto /bbthe /bpheasants.”

    The group burst intoughter, but I didn’t miss the important part. The North. That’s where I was heading. I’d need to get far enough away before anyone

    realized what I was up to.

    “And we have a special guest today–a werewolf,” Elder Robert continued, pointing at me with an insufferable grin. “Lady ra here is confident in her skills, but don’t worry, Lady ra. No one will judge you if you return empty–handed. You are, after all,peting with Lycans.”

    The crowd’sughter was loud and mocking. I didn’t flinch. Instead, I met Elder Robert’s gaze, my voice steady.

    “Oh, careful there, Elder Robert. I’ll be sure to rub it in your face when you lose to a werewolf.”

    His face darkened, and the crowd erupted intoughter once more.

    Wells and Belle, ever the supportive friends, cheered from the side–lines. “Go, ra!”

    “Alright, enough of the speeches!” Elder Robert snapped. “Let the hunting begin!”

    The hounds were unleashed, and the hunters rushed forward, eager to get started.

    “Youing with us, ra?” Wells called out.

    I waved them off with a grin. “No, you guys go ahead! I’ll catch upter.”

    With a cheerful wave, the twins darted into the woods.

    I slid my hand into my pocket, feeling the reassuring weight of the loaded pistol. I turned to Dario, a sly smile on my lips. “Wish me luck.”

    Dario’s face twisted with worry. “Good luck,” he muttered, his eyes full of concern. “Cry for help if you need me.”

    “I will,” I said, leaning in for a quick hug. “Thanks, Dario.”

    This could be thest time I saw him. Thest time I saw anyone who had helped me. The twins, Dario… they would all be left behind as I set my own

    path.

    But it was necessary. I had to escape. I had to be free.

    As I pulled away from Dario, I turned toward the woods, taking a deep breath before plunging forward.

    The forest greeted me with its cool embrace. The sunlight dappled through the branches, casting shifting patterns on the ground as the scent of pine and earth filled my lungs.

    bI /bpushed myself harder, heading straight north. I shot a couple of pheasants along the way, just in case anyone was keeping an eye on me.

    The deeper I went, the quieter it became. The noise of the hunt–shouting, barking, the crack of arrows–faded away, leaving only the crunch of my footsteps and the sound of my own heavy breathing.

    I couldn’t slow down. Not yet.

    For over an hour, I pressed on, checking thepass asionally to ensure I was headed in the right direction. My body screamed for water, but I ignored it, only stopping to take a quick drink when the exhaustion threatened to overtake me.

    The sky, once clear and bright, was now overcast, the sun obscured by dark clouds. The air grew heavier, and a thick fog began to creep in. The once- clear path now blurred, and I knew, instinctively, that I had entered the mist forest.

    I’m close…

    I whispered the name in my heart. “Thorne…”

    If you can hear me, I need your strength. Help me find my way back to you.