Chapter Fifteen

The dawn light softened, spilling golden across the courtyard, but the air still carried the weight of the night’s battle. My body ached, my shoulder stinging where claws had grazed me, but I stood tall, Rex’s hand warm in mine, his scent—pine and iron—grounding me. The pack moved around us, their voices low, their hands busy repairing what the rival wolves had broken. My hand rested on my stomach, the flutter of my child stronger now, a quiet promise that tethered me to this place, to these people. I was Lycan, a mother, a warrior, and for the first time, I felt like I belonged.

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‎Rex’s red eyes met mine, steady but soft, carrying the weight of his confession: *I love you.* The words lingered, heavy, weaving through the bond that pulsed between us, stronger under the fading echo of the blood moon. I wanted to hold onto them, to believe in them, but fear still gnawed at me—not of him, but of what we faced, of the child I carried, of the prophecy’s shadow that wasn’t fully gone.

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‎Sa