Chapter 51. The Cage Within

Ismeria ran.

The silver wolf’s paws pounded against the mountain stone, each strike sending shards of gravel flying into the night. The forest rose like a dark wall around her, the pines thick and endless, their needles dripping with cold dew. The air was sharp and wild, flooding her lungs with fire, burning away every tether, every collar, every silken chain.

She reveled in it. The sheer strength of her muscles, the way her body devoured the ground, the intoxicating taste of freedom. No eyes judging her. No hands restraining her. No voice calling her child or Luna or mate. Just herself, running unbroken beneath the stars.

But Mira was there.

Trapped inside. Beating her fists against the invisible walls of their shared soul.

‘Stop! Please, stop!’

Ismeria ignored her, leaping from boulder to boulder, weaving through the forest with effortless grace.

‘Please—let’s go back!’ Mira begged, her voice raw. ‘We’