Chapter 15 The Journey

• Five days.
• The number followed Elara everywhere after that — through the tense pack meeting where Kael laid out the timeline in a voice gone flat with control, through the frantic scramble to gather supplies, through the long silent walk to the edge of the compound where two horses waited, saddled and ready, breath fogging in the cold morning air.
• "We could just complete the bond here," she said, watching Kael check the saddle straps with more focus than the task required, his shoulder still faintly stiff from the healing wound. "Skip the field trip. Save everyone the travel expenses."