Rachel felt lighter on the carriage ride back from Silverton territory.
The visit with her family had been healing in ways she hadn’t expected. Her mother’s tight hugs, her sisters’ excited laughter, the quiet understanding in her mother’s eyes when she confessed everything — it had given her strength. Even her father’s cold but relieved nod had been something. For two full days, she had felt like Rachel again, not just the hated Luna of the Dark Moon Pack.
But the moment they arrived back at the palace, the warmth faded.
A tall, beautiful female warrior was waiting near the entrance steps. She had long dark hair tied back, sharp confident eyes, and the kind of athletic grace that spoke of years of training. Lila. One of Kylian’s old friends — a warrior who had once been very close to h
