Chapter 42 A New Dawn

The scent of pine and morning dew greeted Selene as she stepped out into the clearing behind the packhouse. It had been three days since the gate was sealed, since the fire inside her was given up for good. In the hours that followed, she had drifted in and out of consciousness, surrounded by the warmth of her pack and the steady presence of Kael, who never once left her side. But now, as the first rays of sunlight bathed the valley in gold, she stood alone.