LOGINWe arrive back at Black River two days later.
Word of what happened spreads faster than any messenger. In the wolf world, news always moves quickly. We destroyed all three nodes. We shattered Seraphine’s network. We handed her the first real defeat she has suffered in more than a hundred years.
The kingdom explodes into celebration.
But inside our private chambers, there is no joy. Only deep exhaustion and w
“I’m sure.”My voice stayed steady. Controlled.“I need some time alone.”“Alright. But Sophia, if you need to talk, I’m here.”“I know. Thank you.”Her footsteps faded down the hall.I waited until the sound disappeared completely, then let my head fall into my hands.Four more weeks.I could do this. I had to. For Alaric. For the kingdom. For every wolf who had chosen to stay and fight.I just was not sure what it would cost me.That night I lay beside Kael and stared at the ceiling.“You are not sleeping,” he said quietly.“Neither are you.”“I am worried about you.” He rolled onto his side
Three days later, Black River was still recovering when Aldric appeared.“You did well,” he said, materializing in my temporary office. Our old command center had burned in the fire.“We survived,” I said tiredly. “I’m not sure if that counts as doing well.”“You did more than survive. You showed Seraphine something she had not seen in decades—real unified resistance. Not forced by magic or oaths, but chosen freely by hundreds of wolves.”He looked at me seriously.“That terrifies her more than any army could.”“She did not look terrified,” I said. “She looked angry.”“Anger is just fear with teeth,” Aldric replied. “She is afraid of what you are building. Afraid it might actually work. Afraid she might ha
“I want to be,” I admitted. “But I’m not sure if I remember how. Everything has been in survival mode for so long that I’ve forgotten what it feels like to just… be with you. Not plotting, not planning, not preparing for the next fight. Just being.”Kael moved over and sat beside me.“I miss that too,” he said. “I miss the simple days before crowns and heavy responsibilities and impossible choices.”“May we get it back?” I asked. “Or is it gone for good?”“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “But I’d like to try. After we bring Alaric home. After we deal with Seraphine. After the immediate crisis calms down, I'd like to find our way back to each other.”“And if we can’t?”“Then we build som
“Three weeks,” Kael said. “Maybe less. My contact reports that Crimson Moon has stepped up their search. They found something. He is not sure what, but they are getting close to the entrance.”“Then we go sooner,” Martin replied. He was up and moving now, though he still favored his injured side. “Two weeks. Hit them before they can get organized.”“We are not ready,” Helena protested. “Half our fighters are still healing from the node missions. You are still hurt. The king and Luna's connection to their wolves is damaged—”“We will never be fully ready,” I cut in. “But Martin is right. We cannot wait for perfect conditions. If we wait too long, Crimson Moon will find Alaric before we do.”“Then we need a solid plan,” Theron said, stepping up to the map. “The Black
We arrive back at Black River two days later.Word of what happened spreads faster than any messenger. In the wolf world, news always moves quickly. We destroyed all three nodes. We shattered Seraphine’s network. We handed her the first real defeat she has suffered in more than a hundred years.The kingdom explodes into celebration.But inside our private chambers, there is no joy. Only deep exhaustion and worry.“Erica’s sight is really gone?” I ask after Helena finishes a full examination.“Completely,” Helena confirms. “Whatever she did at that node burned out the connection. It might be permanent.”“Might?” I grab onto that small word. “So it could still come back?”“Maybe,” Helena says again, but her voice does not sound hopeful.
The silver light explodes outward from Erica, washing over the entire valley.The corrupted guards scream as the light hits them. Their bodies twist and dissolve into nothing, like smoke caught in a strong wind.The dark vortex of the node shudders. It flickers once, twice, and then reverses direction completely.I feel it deep in my chest. The giant river of energy that had been pouring toward this spot suddenly turns backward. It tears through the node from the inside, ripping it apart piece by piece.The explosion is not made of fire or stone. It is pure magical force. A wave that slams into everyone and knocks us all to the ground.When my vision clears, the node has vanished.The corrupted guards are gone.The sick feeling in the air has disappeared.And Erica lies completely still on the ro
The scout's frantic report hung in the air like a storm cloud.We reinforced the breaches on the spot, Moonbane flaring like stars against the encroaching dark.It was a grim reminder: time was no longer our ally.But as the immediate threat ebbed, Garrett refocused us
"You're holding better than yesterday," she observed, wiping sweat from her brow."The channels are working. Feel the flow?""Like a river, not a flood." I straightened, flexing my fingers.The Tear hummed contentedly within, no longer a wild torrent but a directed current&md
She threw the dagger.I reacted on instinct. Pulled power from one of my mental channels—the one I'd designated for combat magic—and created a shield.The Moonbane rune manifested instantly.Solid. Controlled.The dagger bounced off harmlessly."Agai
I was placing a ward near the northern creek when I felt it.A surge of power from inside me. The Tear wakes up without permission."No, no, no!" I tried to push it down.Contain it.Too late.







