Astrid's POV:
I left for the Stone Moon Pack’s ruins with Mom and Alpha Salem, each of us riding horses. Their hooves echoed through the empty pathway as we made our way to the exit of the palace grounds. The sun beat down, casting shadows across the dusty road, making the path look impossibly long. My mind wandered to my youth as horses plodded along.
I recalled sitting alone in the basement of Stone Moon’s palace, hungry and scared. Memory after memory of my traumatic childhood flooded my mind: long hours of hard labor, the constant fear of punishment, and the feeling of being trapped. A myriad of scars on my body were a constant reminder of the abuse I had endured.
Alpha Salem pulled his horse up next to mind. “Astrid?” He peered at me. “Are you crying?”
I blinked a few times, wiping my wet cheeks. I shook my head. “Got something in my eye.” I blinked a few more times, then fixed my gaze on the path ahead.
“I’m sorry it's difficult. But maybe this will be a healing journey for you?
