Chapter 165
Lynette's POV
I grabbed Elara's hand before she could unlock the front door. "Wait."
She turned back. Her eyes were bright in the porch light. Too bright. Like she knew something I didn't want her to know.
"Lynette," she said. The word still felt strange. Wrong and right at the same time. "I tricked you."
My stomach dropped. "What?"
"I'm not actually angry." She squeezed my fingers.
I stared at her. My brain was trying to catch up. "Then why—"
"Because I wanted you to know something." Her voice got quieter. Softer. "Finding you was enough for me. That's all I needed."
The night air was cold against my face. I could hear a dog barking somewhere down the street. Normal sounds. Normal life. But nothing about this conversation felt normal.
"Elara—"
"I saw things when I was in your body." She wasn't looking at me anymore. She was looking at our joined hands. "Your memories. How you learned to fight. How you survived. How many times you almost died."
My chest got tight. I'd thought I kept those memories buried deep enough. Hidden enough.
"I finally understand why you're different now." She looked up. There were tears in her eyes. Real ones. "Why you came back changed."
I wanted to pull my hand away. To run. To not have this conversation. But her grip was surprisingly strong for someone who looked so fragile.
"That time also changed me," she continued. "I'm not the little girl who only hid behind you anymore. I learned things. How to tell direction in the forest. How to bandage wounds. How to sense danger."
"Elara—"
"And I saw something else in our shared memories." She smiled. It was small and sad. "We're the same, Lynette. We both feel responsible for protecting this family."
The word hit me harder than any punch Kael had landed in the training ring. Responsible. That's what this weight in my chest was. That's what kept me awake at night.
"So I understand why you didn't tell us the truth." Her voice was trying to sound grown-up. Mature. "You're protecting us. Some things are more dangerous to know, right?"
My throat felt tight. I remembered Ethan asking similar questions when I was still in Elara's body. That night he'd said with red-rimmed eyes: "I don't know what you're hiding, but I trust you have reasons. I just want you to know—whatever happens, I'm on your side."
I pulled Elara into a hug before I could stop myself. "I'm sorry. For making you worry."
She hugged me back. Hard. Like she was afraid I'd disappear if she let go.
We stood there on the porch for a long moment. The night was quiet except for that distant dog and the sound of our breathing.
Finally, I pulled back. "We should go inside. Mom's probably watching from the window."
Elara laughed. It sounded wet. "Definitely. She's been glued to us since you came back."
---
The next morning, I was up early. The house was still quiet. I moved through my room silently, gathering supplies. Map. First aid kit. Energy bars. Water bottles. Everything I might need for a trip into Black Ridge Forest.
I was checking the map coordinates when I heard footsteps in the hallway.
"You're going today?" Elara stood in my doorway. She was already dressed. Ready.
"Yes." I folded the map. "I need to scout the area. Find the rogue packs. See who might be willing to talk."
"I'm coming with you."
"Elara—"
"Don't." She walked into the room. Sat on my bed. "I told you last night. I'm not hiding behind you anymore. I want to help."
I looked at her. Really looked at her. She wasn't the scared girl from those first memories anymore. Something had changed. Maybe it was living in my body for those weeks. Maybe it was everything she'd been through.
"Fine," I said finally. "But you follow my lead. No arguments."
She nodded. "No arguments."
The doorbell rang.
We both froze. It was barely eight in the morning.
"That's probably her," I said, slinging the backpack over my shoulder. "Kael's assistant."
Elara followed me downstairs. Mom was already at the door, looking confused. "Girls, there's someone here for you."
The woman on our porch was tall. Maybe five-ten. Dark brown hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. Amber eyes that scanned our house, our street, everything, in quick efficient sweeps.
"Mira," she said. No smile. No warmth. Just her name. "I'm here to assist with your work."
Her stance was military. Weight balanced. Hands loose at her sides but ready. I recognized it because I'd trained the same way. This wasn't just some pack member doing a favor. This was a warrior.
"I'm Lynette." I kept my voice neutral. Professional. "This is my sister Elara. We're heading to Black Ridge Forest today."
Something flickered in Mira's eyes. Surprise maybe. Or concern. But her face stayed blank. "Understood. I'll drive."
---
The car was a black SUV. Expensive. The kind with tinted windows and reinforced doors. Mira drove with the same efficiency she did everything else. Her eyes checked the mirrors every thirty seconds. Scanned intersections before we crossed them. Professional paranoia.
I sat in the back. Elara took the front passenger seat after I gave her a look that said try to be friendly.
"How long have you been with Pinehollow Pack?" Elara asked after we'd been driving for ten minutes in silence.
"Five years."
That was it. Two words. Then silence again.
Elara tried again. "Do you like it there?"
"Yes."
I watched Mira's eyes in the rearview mirror. They flicked to me. Held for a second. Then back to the road. She was assessing me. Trying to figure out if I was a threat. If I was worth protecting. If I was worth watching.
I understood. If our positions were reversed, I'd be doing the same thing.
The city gave way to suburbs. Then to rural roads. Then to dirt paths that wound through increasingly dense forest. The GPS lost signal after the first hour. Mira didn't seem to need it. She drove like she'd been here before.
"How much farther?" Elara's voice was tight. Nervous.
"Twenty minutes to the forest edge," Mira said. "Then we walk."
I pulled out my phone. No signal. I'd expected that. Black Ridge Forest was remote enough that even the Council didn't monitor it closely. That's why rogues gathered there. That's why it was dangerous.
My other phone—the encrypted one Cole had given me—had one bar. Barely enough for a text. I checked it quickly. No new messages. That was good. That meant no immediate threats.
The car slowed. Mira pulled off the dirt road into a small clearing. Trees pressed close on all sides. The morning sun barely penetrated the canopy.
"We're here," she said, killing the engine.
The sudden silence was oppressive. I could hear birds. Wind in the leaves. The tick of the cooling engine. But underneath that—nothing. No human sounds. No traffic. No civilization.
This was the edge of the wild.
I opened my door. The air smelled like pine and damp earth and something else. Something my wolf recognized even if my human nose couldn't quite place it.
Blood. Old blood.
Elara got out on her side. She stayed close to the car. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the dark forest ahead.
Mira opened the trunk. Started pulling out gear. Two more backpacks. A first aid kit. Something wrapped in cloth that I was pretty sure was a weapon.
"Standard protocol," she said when she caught me looking. "Council regulations for forest expeditions."
I nodded. Took one of the backpacks. It was heavier than mine. I unzipped it quickly. Water. Flares. Rope. A knife. A gun.
"Just in case," Mira said. Her voice was flat. Matter-of-fact.
"Just in case," I agreed.
Elara was staring at the gun. Her face had gone pale.
I zipped the backpack closed. Slung it over my shoulder next to mine. "Ready?"
Mira locked the car. Pocketed the keys. "Ready."
We turned toward the forest.
The trees seemed to lean in. Watching. Waiting.
I took the first step onto the trail.
Behind me, I heard Elara take a deep breath. Then her footsteps following.
Mira brought up the rear. Silent as a shadow.
We walked into Black Ridge Forest.