LOGINLana's POV
LANA'S POV Damon brought my hands to his lips, kissing my knuckles one by one, his eyes never leaving mine. “We leave at first light,” he said, his voice firm with new purpose. “I’ll have everything settled here by then. The alliances will hold. Then we start. No more delays.”
LANA'S POV The aftermath in the Black Raven pack was a swift, quiet storm. Damon moved with ruthless efficiency. The deputy’s attempted power grab, now exposed and linked to the illicit hunt for the Grail shards, collapsed. Alliances were reaffirmed, loyalties tested, and the obstructive “local forces” found themselves suddenly cooperative or replaced.
LANA'S POV Later after I left the warehouse, the message from Damon came through not as a call, but as a series of terse, encoded texts to a secure line. He wasn’t one for dramatic updates, which made the clipped sentences even more alarming.
LANA'S POV I couldn’t say I missed him yet. The words felt too big, too loaded, stuck in my throat. But as if he could sense my hesitation through the phone, Damon’s voice softened.“Your silence is a good enough answer for now,” he said.
Lana's POV My hands started to shake. The box was light, but its contents felt like they carried the weight of burdens. I blinked, hard, sure my eyes were deceiving me.
Lana's POV He didn’t deny it. He didn’t get angry. He just stayed perfectly still, watching me, the truth of his refusal hanging in the air between us. The tender morning illusion was gone.“You should go,” I said, breaking the silence. My vo







