Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Astrid’s POV
We ran.
Each footfall was a victory, each breath a testament to my newfound freedom. The packhouse receded behind us, swallowed by the darkness, and with every step, the weight on my chest seemed to lighten.
I strained my ears, listening for any sound of pursuit. The baying of hounds, the shouts of guards, the howling of wolves, anything that would indicate we had been discovered. But there was nothing. Only the rustling of leaves and the frantic pounding of my own heart.
Shadow set a relentless pace, her body moving with effortless grace through the undergrowth. I struggled to keep up, my muscles screaming in protest, but the thought of being recaptured spurred me onward.
As we ran deeper into the woods, I began to notice something strange. We were heading into a part of the territory I had never seen before. As Luna, I had thought I knew every inch of Moonshade land, but this place was unfamiliar, wilder, more untamed.
Towering trees formed a dense canopy overhead, blocking out the moonlight and casting long, eerie shadows. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. It was beautiful, in a way, but also unsettling.
"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice breathless. "I don’t recognize this place."
Shadow glanced back at me, her blue eyes gleaming in the darkness. "It’s a hidden path," she said. "I found it while studying the pack maps."
"The maps?" I asked, surprised. "How did you get access to those?"