Lucian's POV
When I left the Shadow Walker pack, I had no plans, none whatsoever, of ever returning.
I didn't even look back.
The night air was cold, and the moon hung high like a watchful eye above me. My feet carried me through the forest, the shadows swallowing me whole with each stride. I thought that once I left that cursed place, once I left her, I'd finally feel peace again. Freedom. Detachment.
But the further I went, the worse it got.
At first, it was just a dull ache in my chest, something I thought I could ignore. I've felt pain before, unimaginable pain. I've had my flesh torn, my bones shattered, my wolf bound in fire and blood. But this.… this was something else.
The ache turned into a deep, searing throb, then into something far more violent. It was as though someone had driven a chainsaw straight through my heart and was dragging it slowly back and forth, shredding me from the inside.
