MAYA'S POV
(THREE DAYS LATER)
I couldn't stop thinking about Morrigan's words.
"She needs you. You just haven't told her."
But how could I? Lyra was building something extraordinary. Twenty students, expanding facilities, changing the kingdom's view on marked wolves. And now Darius—empathy-corrupted, politically connected, age-appropriate—was orbiting her like a moon drawn to a planet.
I'd seen how he looked at her. How she smiled when he presented organizational plans. How easily they worked together.
They made sense. Political alliance. Shared understanding of marking. Both young leaders are building something new.
I was just the Second. The support. The friend who'd always been there.
"You're spiraling," a voice said.
I looked up to find Sera watching me from the doorway of the medical supply room.
"I'm organizing," I lied.
"You're hiding. There's a difference." She entered, closing the door. "Want to talk about it?"
"There's nothing to talk about."
