Chapter Eighty-Nine: Captured, Again

Kiara POV: My paws dig into the damp forest floor as I race forward. The scent of rich earth and decaying leaves fills my nostrils, but above it all is the ethereal aroma of freedom, so tantalizingly close. I can practically taste it. I'm meters away from the kingdom borders, so close to summoning help for my fallen sisters to avenge their cruel fate. It's this determination, this primal thirst for justice, that propels me onward. But then, a new scent drifts into my range, mingling with the smell of the forest in a way that makes my heart drop like a stone in water. It's something dark, something overpowering and foreign. My ears twitch as the sound of heavy, thudding paws fills the air, drowning out the other natural sounds of the forest. My fur stands on end; my instincts scream at me that something is dangerously amiss. Confusion clings to me for a heartbeat—just long enough for the terrifying realization to crash over me like a tidal wave. I'm in Lycan territory. The pounding paws