After everything he'd done, betraying her, planning to humiliate her in front of everyone, she didn't believe he'd care enough to search. Not really. Not beyond appearances.
So once those two warriors reported what they saw... the fall, the impact, the water turning red...
That would be enough.
Everyone would believe the same thing.
That she was dead.
Once they believed she was dead, everything would end cleanly.
No more ties. No more packs. No more chains dragging her back.
She could disappear. Go somewhere no one knew her name. Start over. Live a life that was finally hers.
That was the plan.
But her body was breaking.
By the time she pushed herself toward the unclaimed shore, the damage caught up to her. Her vision blurred, dark spots bleeding into everything. Every stroke drained her faster than the last, her strength slipping through her fingers no matter how hard she fought to hold on.
She could feel that she was close. So damn close to the shore.
And yet...
