The moment I was out of sight, I ran.
I didn't care who saw me or what they thought.
I didn't care that my dress tangled around my legs, or that stones bit into the soles of my feet.
I just needed to get away—from Darius, from Father, from everything that was pressing down on my chest until I couldn't breathe.
The woods welcomed me like an old friend.
Branches slapped against my arms. Leaves scratched my face.
I didn't stop.
Not until I reached my place.
The clearing.
It wasn't much—just a ring of trees and a patch of worn grass by the creek—but it had always been mine.
The one spot where the world couldn't find me.
I collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard, pressing my forehead into my knees.
"What are you doing, Luciana?" I whispered.
The creek babbled nearby, indifferent to my misery.
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the heat in my chest to fade.
But it didn't.
It only grew.
That feeling—the dangerous, wild pull toward Darius—hadn't faded since I walked away.
It burned brighter now.
Like a fire catching dry grass, unstoppable and wild.
I dug my fingers into the dirt, desperate for something real, something solid.
I had sworn not to get distracted.
I had sworn to follow the warning in my dream, to find my mother before it was too late.
And yet...
One look from Darius, and I felt like I was drowning.
How could fate be so cruel?
How could it tie my heart into knots just when I needed it to be steady?
A snap of a twig made me jerk upright.
I spun around, heart slamming into my ribs.
But it was only a rabbit, darting into the underbrush.
I sagged back onto the ground, covering my face with my hands.
"Get a grip," I muttered. "Get a grip."
The fire in my chest pulsed, stubborn and alive.
I hated it.
Hated how badly I had wanted to stay in Darius's presence.
Hated how his words had sunk deep into places I didn't even know were vulnerable.
"Fortunately also, I'm feeling the pull right now since I've looked into your eyes...."
I pressed my palms harder into my eyes, trying to erase the memory.
But it stayed.
No matter how much I wanted it gone, it stayed.
And the worst part—the very worst part—was that a small, traitorous voice inside me whispered that maybe Darius was the right path.
Maybe he was the way out of this empty life I was trapped in.
Maybe he could be the answer.
But I couldn't think like that.
I couldn't.
Because the dream had made it clear:
Find Aira.
Complete the ritual.
Or lose my wolf—and everything I was.
If I chose wrong, if I let myself fall for Darius now, before completing my mission...
It wouldn't just be my heart that would break.
It would be my soul.
A gust of wind stirred the trees, carrying the faint scent of smoke from the pack house fires.
I stared at the sky, painted gold and crimson by the setting sun.
I thought of Mother.
Of the half-told stories, the broken pieces of truth Father never wanted to explain.
Aira had run because she'd seen something terrible.
Because she'd realized too late that the life she had been pulled into wasn't the life she wanted.
And now... I was dangerously close to making the same mistake.
Choosing comfort over destiny.
Choosing love over survival.
A tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it.
I wiped it away angrily.
I hated feeling weak.
I hated this whole twisted situation.
A rustle behind me made me freeze.
"Luciana?"
It was Darius.
Of course it was.
I turned my face away, hoping he would take the hint and leave.
No such luck.
His footsteps crunched closer.
He crouched down beside me, not touching, but close enough that I could feel the heat of him.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice low.
"For what?" I asked, not trusting myself to look at him.
"For... confusing you," he said. "For making things harder."
I laughed bitterly.
It was a broken sound.
"You didn't confuse me," I said. "I was already confused."
He was silent for a moment.
Then he said, "I don't want to hurt you, Luciana."
I finally turned my head to look at him.
In the fading light, his face was serious.
No teasing smile. No lazy charm.
Just... honesty.
"I can't," I said. "Not right now."
"Why not?"
I shook my head. "It's complicated."
He tilted his head, studying me.
"I can handle the complicated."
I almost laughed again.
He had no idea.
I pushed myself to my feet, brushing off my dress.
"I have things I have to do," I said. "Things more important than... this."
He stood too, towering over me, his expression unreadable.
"Then let me help you," he said quietly.
I blinked up at him.
"You can't," I said. "No one can."
A long silence stretched between us.
Finally, Darius sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair.
"I'll wait," he said simply.
I stared at him.
"You don't even know what you're waiting for," I said.
He smiled faintly.
"Doesn't matter."
I turned away, swallowing the lump in my throat.
"I have to go," I said.
"Will you come back?"
I hesitated.
"I don't know," I whispered.
And then I ran.
Not because I was afraid of him.
But because I was afraid of myself.
Afraid of how badly I wanted to turn around.
Afraid of how much I already cared.
The fire inside me burned hotter with every step.
But I forced myself onward, deeper into the woods, away from the pack house, away from Darius.
Away from temptation.
The moon was high overhead when I finally stopped running.
I collapsed by an old fallen log, gasping for breath, my dress torn and muddy.
I stared up at the stars, feeling very small and very alone.
Somewhere out there, my mother was waiting.
Somewhere out there, my destiny still waited to be claimed.
I couldn't let love—or what might be love—distract me.
Not now.
Maybe not ever.
I closed my eyes and made a silent promise to the night sky:
I would find her.
I would complete the ritual.
I would save myself.
Even if it meant breaking my own heart along the way.
The fire inside me roared, fierce and angry.
I let it burn.
Because sometimes, you had to walk through fire to find the path you were meant to take.
And I would walk it.
Alone, if I had to.
Because the future was waiting.
And it wouldn't wait forever.