Chapter 111: A New Beginning Anna POV

With my luggage draped over my shoulder and a weary but determined heart, I stood at the edge of the woodland. Beside me were Lucas and Maia, whose faces reflected mine: a mixture of resolve and melancholy.

Cain came toward us, his eyes full of resolution but his face etched with fatigue. Although he had been among Oliver's most devoted soldiers, the insurrection had altered him. We were leaving him in control after he had fought with us and put his life in danger for the pack.

"Are you sure about this?" he said softly.

I gave a nod. "Cain, you're the greatest option. You are trusted by the pack. They will follow you."

He paused, his eyes darting between Maia and Lucas. "How about the three of you? Where are you going?"

"Somewhere new," was all I said. "A place where we can start again."

Cain's face softened as he nodded. "You've done enough for this pack. More than sufficient. Go if this is what you need. We'll be alright."

I said my eyes almost teary. "Cain, look after them."

He grinned, a faint, weary smile, but it was real. "I will."

Then, his shoulders squared with the burden of his new duty, he turned and walked back to the pack.

I inhaled deeply while taking one more look around the pack grounds. My mind was filled with recollections of this area, both positive and negative, but I ignored them.

The time has come to let go.

"All set?" Lucas asked in a quiet voice.

I turned to face him and Maia and nodded. "All set."

Leaving Nightshade behind, we turned and headed into the woodland.

The forest gave way to broad fields and undulating hills during the protracted and difficult journey. I felt lighter as we moved away from the pack, as though the burden of the past were gradually being removed.

Maia moved forward with deliberate, light steps, and Lucas remained by my side, his presence a constant source of solace.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" After a while, I broke the stillness and asked.

Lucas gave me a quick look. "The pack?"

I gave a nod.

He said, "They'll figure it out. They must."

I let out a sigh and looked off into the distance. "I just... I do not wish for them to disintegrate. Not after all that we endured to get here."

"They won't," Lucas asserted. "Cain is an effective leader. He will look after them."

The doubt persisted even after I nodded.

Maia turned to look at us thoughtfully. "We can always return, you know. If they require our assistance."

I gave a headshake. "No. This is our opportunity to make a fresh start. To move on from the past."

Maia grinned, a slight, weary smile, but it was real. "Then let's take full advantage of it."

For a while, we strolled in silence as the forest gradually gave way to open pastures. The area was bathed in a warm, golden glow as the sun started to set.

After a while, Maia replied in a casual tone, "So. When we arrive in the human world, what is the plan?"

I gave a shrug. "Look for a place to stay. As we proceed, figure things out."

Maia's eyebrow went up. "Is that your strategy? 'Work things out as we go along?'"

I grinned. "Have a better plan?"

She started to reply, but Lucas interrupted her.

"We'll be fine," his voice was firm. "We've survived worse."

Maia gave an eye roll. "You two...."

The sound of my laughter was free and light. It was satisfying to laugh and release the strain that had been consuming me for so long.

A feeling of calm descended upon me as the sun sank below the horizon, illuminating the sky with pink and orange hues.

Although we had lost a great deal, we had also gained something priceless: one another.

And I was confident that we could handle whatever happened next as long as we had that.

Together.

Lucas gave me a quick look. "Are you scared?"

I let out a slow breath while I thought over my response. "I think so."

Now it was easy to be honest.

Lucas seemed to understand, as he nodded. "Good."

I arched an eyebrow. "Good?"

With a faint smirk, the ghost of his former self reappeared. “Means you’re alive.” 

Maia let out a moan. "Is that your day's deep wisdom? 'Is fear a sign that you are alive?'"

Lucas gave a shrug. "That's right."

A tiny, fleeting smile came to my face. Maia, however, gave a dramatic roll of her eyes.

For long, the only sound was our footsteps. The air shifted significantly as we descended farther. Something cleaner. Less primal took the place of the packlands' untamed aroma. I was beginning to see that the world was opening up in new ways.

Lucas scanned the treetops and remarked, "By nightfall, we should arrive at the edge of a human town. Before then, we must find a place to stay."

Maia let out a sigh. "All right. Because it will be so simple to blend in with a human town without any money, identification, or knowledge of how things operate."

Lucas gave her a glance. "We'll work it out."

She whispered, "Yes, since that has worked so well for us in the past."

I let out a sigh. "We've come this far."

Lucas gave a nod. "We're also not going back."

Maia sighed without protesting.

I stared at them, Maia with her sardonic wit and Lucas with his silent seriousness, standing next to me in a world that no longer made sense.

Now, this was all we had.

Perhaps that was sufficient.

At the edge of the trees, Lucas paused, staring straight ahead. "This is it."

Maia paused. "Do we just walk in?"

I took a deep breath. "I suppose so."

It was odd that something as basic as entering a town felt more difficult than going up against Oliver in combat.

Lucas gave me a quick look. "Together?"

I looked him in the eyes, and we exchanged an unspoken message.

"Yes."

We started.

The change from predator to stranger, from warrior to outsider, was subtle, but I felt it. We were unknown to the human world. It didn't ask anything from us and didn't frighten us.

Perhaps that was the most enjoyable aspect.

We continued to walk, tentatively but steadily.

Maia let out a big sigh at one point. "All right, let me say it again. What is the strategy?"

Lucas grinned. "Survive."

Maia let out a moan. "It is not a plan."

I gave a small smile. "This is a beginning."

She let out a sigh. "All right. But I will hold you both accountable if we wind up hungry and homeless."

Lucas laughed. "Noted."

There was a slight release of stress.

Feeling the weight of everything we had lost and everything we still had to find, I exhaled slowly as the final remnants of the woodland vanished behind us.

Lucas halted when we arrived at a peaceful park and turned to look at me.

"Anna," he remarked in a quiet but passionate voice.

With my heart thumping in my chest, I glanced up at him. "Yes?"

He paused, looking into my eyes. "I understand that everything is fresh and unknown, yet please know that I'm with you. Regardless."

A knot rose in my throat, but I pushed it away. "I understand."

He grinned, a sweet little smile that broke my heart. "Good."

He then leaned in and gave me a kiss before I could respond.

It was a passionate, promising kiss that cemented our relationship in a way that words could never express.

Maia stood a few feet away with her arms crossed and a sneer on her face when we eventually separated.

"About time," she replied in a playful tone.

Even though my cheeks were flushed, I couldn't resist laughing.

With his hand still in mine, Lucas laughed. "You're just jealous."

Maia gave an eye roll. "Please. All of that mushy stuff is unnecessary."

Despite our uncertain future, I grinned, feeling joy in my heart.

We had freedom.

And I was confident that we could handle whatever came up as long as we had one another.

"Come on," I muttered.

We moved on, hand in hand, into the unknown.