The silence after the attack felt heavier than the fight itself.
Lyra stood still, her breathing finally steady, but her body remained tense. The energy inside her had settled, yet it hadn’t disappeared. It lingered, like something waiting.
Around her, the pack began to gather.
Whispers followed.
Low. Uncertain.
Watching her.
Not the enemy.
Her.
Lyra noticed.
She didn’t react immediately, but she felt it.
That shift.
“They saw everything,” she said quietly.
Kael stood beside her. “They did.”
“That’s a problem.”
“Not if you control it.”
Lyra let out a soft breath. “That’s not what they’re worried about.”
She turned slightly, her gaze moving across the others. Some avoided her eyes. Others stared too long.
Curious.
Cautious.
Afraid.
Before she could say anything else, a v
