Alena’s breath caught. Phoebe turned to her, expression sharpening like a blade.
“I’ll spare you the rest,” she said flatly. “But I remember every moment.”
She snatched up the bandage, wrapping it tight, movements defensive—like armour being strapped back on. The shift was palpable, a retreat behind walls Alena knew she rarely lowered.
“How did you escape?” Alena asked.
Phoebe wrung out her dark hair, pulling on her tunic with practised speed. “I got a guard to take pity on me,” she repliedwith a wry smile. “It wasn’t hard after my eye had been torn out. I was bleeding through my bandage, and when he came to check, I tore his throat out. With my teeth.”
She snapped her teeth for effect, a twisted grin ghosting her lips.
The image was so vivid Alena couldn’t hide her shock.
Phoebe’s smirk faded. She turned away, fingers working her hair into a thick braid. “Sorry. It’s not a pleasant story to tell.”
“No, don’t apologise.” Alena stepped closer. “If anything, it confirms what I already thought about you—that you’re incredibly brave.”
Phoebe glanced over her shoulder, expression unreadable, before clearing her throat. “Once I got out, I hid on the first boat leaving Argos for Smyrna. Thankfully, a healer was on board, a kind Achaean fellow, who treated me during the voyage.”
“Tiryns will have Gifted healers,” Alena said gently. “If you wish, they could do something for your scars?—”
“No.”
Alena hesitated. “But if they cause you pain?—”
Phoebe cut her off, stepping down from the rock and draping the leopard’s pelt over her shoulders. “I keep them for a reason,” she said. “A reminder of what I’m fighting for and what the enemy is capable of.”
The Amazon’s gaze flicked to the golden Omega mark on Alena’s hand.
A slow burn ignited in Alena’s chest. “They’ll pay, Phoebe,” she vowed. “For what they did to you. For all of it.”
Phoebe studied her for a beat, then huffed, short and amused. “Hmph. I’ll believe it when you beat me in training.”
She tapped Alena’s shoulder with a faint smirk, retrieving her sword and shield. “Now come, oh brave Omega. Let’s find some fat rabbits for dinner. If we’re quick, we’ll reach the village before sunset.”
They managed to snare two rabbits before moving on. With each step, Alena’s heart beat faster. The thought of seeing San and Kaixo again filled her with warmth and longing.
So much so that she almost tripped over a large grey wolf emerging from the underbrush.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, her heart leaping. “The grey one came back!”
Phoebe adjusted her bandage. “You really should give it a name.”
“He,” Alena corrected, stroking his thick fur as he licked her cheek. “But I don’t think it’s right to name him. He’s not a pet.”
“Alena, he followed you all the way from the Western Lands. He stayed here waiting for you. He might not be a pet, but he’s definitely claimed you.”
“I guess,” Alena said, scratching his ears. Her gaze swept the woods for the black female who had travelled with him, but there was no sign of her. “Doesn’t the Archer have a connection to wolves? Maybe I should name him after that.”
“The Archer?” Phoebe wrinkled her nose. “Sounds a bit dull. How about Apollo?”
“Apollo?” Alena repeated, intrigued. “Why? What does it mean?”
A knowing smile tugged at the corners of Phoebe’s mouth. “Nothing special. Just another epithet for the Archer, like ‘lord of light’ or ‘born of a wolf.’”
Alena couldn’t shake the feeling the name carried more weight than Phoebe let on, but she liked it all the same. “Apollo, it is.”
She rose, meeting the wolf’s bright, expectant eyes. “Can you lead us to the village?”
