Chapter 3

Knox carried me into the stone house where they lived.

Once, it had belonged to just the three of them.

Now I barely recognized the room.

Finely woven grass mats covered the floor. Dried wildflowers sat on the windowsill, and the air smelled faintly of berries.

Nara's touch was everywhere.

Knox set me down on a wooden chair.

He found a clean cloth and some herbs, knelt in front of me, and bent to untie the filthy strip around my leg.

The cloth had stuck to the wound, and when he pulled it away, it tore off a layer of skin.

I trembled from the pain, letting out a small whimper before forcing myself to stay quiet.

I had never been fragile. It was only with them that I'd allowed myself to be vulnerable and depend on someone. Again and again, I'd swallowed my pride, hoping they'd show me the same tenderness they once had.

Cyrus and Draven were talking by the door.

"Back in the woods, I actually thought she'd changed."

"Turns out she's the same as ever. She won't stop until everyone's miserable."

"She was spoiled from the time she was little. Remember what she said when she was 12?"

Cyrus mimicked my younger self. "My father's the Alpha. You all have to do what I say. If you don't, I'll have him throw you out of the pack."

Then he and Draven burst out laughing.

The laughter grated on my ears.

I had said it in anger when I was 12, during a fight over a short sword.

Back then, they'd just laughed and ruffled my hair, promising they'd always be there for me as long as I was happy.

Knox didn't laugh.

He kept his eyes on my injured leg, carefully cleaning the wound with a herb-soaked cloth.

My tears finally fell.

I reached out with both hands and grabbed Knox's shoulders.

"Knox, can you hold me? Just for a moment. Please?"

I was so cold. I just needed someone to lean on, even if it was only for a moment.

Knox's hands went still.

He slowly took hold of my wrists, pulled my fingers off his shoulders one by one, and set my hands back on my knees.

"Stop it, Lyra."

Knox's voice was low and unreadable. "Let's get this wound bandaged first."

He turned me down.

Now he wouldn't even give me a halfhearted hug.

The last of my hopes crumbled, and I was so humiliated I wished I could disappear.

I instinctively pulled away from him, accidentally knocking over a clay jar perched on the corner of the table.

The jar hit the stone floor and shattered with a sharp crack.

Shards flew everywhere. One sharp piece grazed my cheek.

My face stung, and warm blood trickled down and dripped onto my collar.

Cyrus's expression changed instantly.

He crossed the room in two strides. When he saw the shards on the floor, a vein throbbed in his forehead.

"Lyra! When are you going to stop acting like a spoiled brat?"

Draven came over too, disappointment written across his face. "Nara's pup spent three whole days making that. Even if you hate Nara, why take it out on a pup?"

I pressed a hand to my bleeding face. "I didn't mean to, I just..."

Cyrus cut me off. "Why are you always so jealous? Why can't you stand Nara and her pup?!"

Knox stood beside the broken shards, still holding the bloody cloth.

I looked at Knox, hoping he'd say just one word in my defense.

But he didn't say anything.

Nara came in, leading her pup by the hand.

She looked at the shards on the floor, then at my bloody face, and surprise flickered in her eyes.

"How did you get hurt this badly?"

She took out a handkerchief and reached to wipe the blood from my face. "It's just a clay jar. Don't worry about it. Look at her—she's bleeding! We need to get the healer!"

At her words, Cyrus's anger instantly melted away.

She handled everything with such grace that no one could possibly fault her.

But the sight of her outstretched handkerchief made me sick.

I turned my head away from her hand.

Cyrus's temper flared again. "Nara's being kind and trying to take care of your wound. What kind of attitude is that?

"Apologize."

They were all waiting for me to back down.

My chest tightened with pain. I knew they no longer cared about me, yet being forced to apologize again was still so humiliating I could barely breathe.

I looked up at Nara, then at the three men behind her.

These were the warriors who had once sworn to protect me with their lives.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, looking at the floor.

Then I gripped the chair's arm, forced myself to my feet, and ran out.