The Exile's Path

tones of her pack the Silvercrest pa

trees. Walking away from the only home she had ever known a place where a wolfs value was measured in claws, fangs, and dominance. Infront o

hunting knife her mother had left behind, a the clothes

ess,D

ked through the trees, crossed the freezing shallows of the border river. She had felt broken. She had w

, the only thing Kallia sm

n the cold air. Kallia set down her pestle,

e called out softl

warm voice answe

in Oakhaven for all seventy of her years. When Kallia had collapsed on the steps of the town twelve months ago cold, and starved half to death.E

ounter to take the heavy basket of herbs from the old wom

tapped her cane against the floor. "Do you ever sleep, Kallia? At your age, gir

reach her dark eyes. "Work keeps me

ttered, She moved behind the counter, arranging herbs with trembling hands. "Besid

She hadn't realized Evelyn

an Alpha or bowed to an elder. Here, people cared about their

pointmentor disgrace She was just Kallia the quiet girl who

velyn," Kallia murmured honestly, carefu

my herbs, and massaged my body with your hands" Evelyn s

irthday on the the day of her shifting ceremony under the looks of the elders,the warriors the pack she had grown in the stones of th

gged. The drums stopped the ceremonial ground went sile

a human

to her "You do not belong here."She turned around and ran fr

inside her had been changing. At first, she blamed it on stress. But over th

shop. Sometimes at night, her skin would heat. Her pulse would beat so loud. She wou

s voice broke thr

ed, turning

ke the afternoon off. Go down to the river and g

fresh air sou

ying her apron and folding it neatly

mother's hunting knife in her boots. Even

r body she smelt something familiar the smell of cidar a smell tha

htly on the stones,

peaks that divided human land from

first time in a year, the silence di