Tessa POVThe sky had turned the soft gray of early dusk, the kind that whispered of exhaustion and rain. But the battlefield was still and quiet, for the first time in hours.The scent of blood lingered. Burned ash clung to the wind from the pyres of enemies. But there was no more screaming. No more fighting.We had won. And yet… I didn’t feel victorious.I stood at the edge of the field, boots pressed into torn earth, watching the medics move between the injured. Some lay on stretchers, others sat with their backs to trees, arms slung around friends or healers, dirt and blood streaking their skin.They were alive. That was what mattered.I turned slowly, my gaze sweeping over the clearing where so many had fought and bled for our future.Victor barked orders with quiet efficiency, his voice lower than usual, more careful. Rylan helped the younger warriors unload supplies from the trucks, checking armor, making sure no one missed treatment. Galen moved like a ghost, eyes sharp and li
Tessa POVThe battlefield stank of blood, burned earth, and magic.I stood at the center of it, breath ragged, my body trembling with energy barely held in check. My fingers crackled with flame and wind, still glowing from the last strike that had shattered the enemy’s front line and sent nearly a third of them crumpling to the ground.We had them on their knees. But I couldn’t breathe yet. Not until it was over.Beside me, Dorian fought like the gods had made him from blade and fury. His claws were out, his eyes dark with the thrill and terror of war. Victor moved with brutal precision a few feet ahead, blood on his armor but none of it his. Rylan flanked the other side, holding the left line like it was made of steel.We were winning. But something still pressed on my chest. A wrongness. A pressure on the air that no victory could explain.I could feel it coming.My wolf was restless beneath my skin, growling low, pushing against the barrier between us.“They’re holding something ba
Tessa POV The ground trembled beneath hundreds of boots.The enemy spilled from the trees like a black wave - armor gleaming in the dawn light, war drums pounding in a rhythm meant to shatter hearts. Shadow Hand banners fluttered above their front lines, each one a promise of death, of silence, of subjugation.But we were not prey. Not anymore.I stepped forward, wind tugging at my hair, power roiling under my skin like a storm waiting for release.“Hold,” I said, loud and clear. My warriors froze. Muscles tensed. Claws half-shifted. Every eye was on me. I reached out through the mind link, anchoring them. “No one moves until I strike.”Even Dorian didn’t question it. My pulse slowed. The world narrowed.The enemy was close now - close enough to smell the iron in their blood, the arrogance on their breath.Sable was fire in my bones. “Now. Show them what we are.”I lifted my hand. The air thickened. Lightning crackled beneath my skin, threading through my veins, twisting through m
Tessa POVThe world held its breath.Mist still clung to the low hills as we crested the final ridge before the border. The earth felt heavy beneath our wheels, the air too still, too sharp. Like the land itself knew what was coming.Our convoy slowed, tires crunching over gravel and roots. Beyond the treeline, the enemy waited.I stepped down from the vehicle, boots hitting dirt. My breath plumed in the cold morning air. Dorian was already moving ahead, Victor at his side, scouts fanning outward.The front line was forming - armored wolves in disciplined rows, some shifted, others still in human form, weapons gleaming at their backs. Galen barked orders, his voice a razor cutting through the fog.But it was the silence beyond the border that struck me most. Not the chaos of a charge. Not war drums. Just stillness.And then I saw them.Across the valley, through the breaks in the trees - black uniforms, too uniform to be rogues. Face coverings. Symbols carved in silver across their ch
Across the room, I felt her - the storm I slept beside, the fire I kissed hours ago.Tessa stood quiet, her arms crossed, expression unreadable. But I could feel it. The tension in her spine. The determination building behind her stillness.She was already deciding. Already choosing.And I knew what was coming before she even opened her mouth.“I’m not staying behind.”Tessa’s voice was calm. Too calm. That tone always came right before she did something reckless and unstoppable.I turned from the weapons rack, strapping a fresh mag to my hip. “You’re not expendable, Tessa.”She raised an eyebrow. “Neither are the rest of them.”“That’s not the same.”Her lips pressed into a thin line as she folded her arms, hoodie replaced now with black armor molded to her form like a second skin. She looked like a queen forged from lightning and will. Unshakable. But I could still see the pulse in her throat, the faint tremor in her finger - excitement or dread, I didn’t know. Maybe both.“You’re
Dorian POVIt was still dark when the knock came - hard, urgent, no hesitation. A beat later, the door slammed open.“Alpha,” Galen’s voice barked from the doorway. “You need to see this. Now.”Tessa jerked upright beside me, the covers falling from her bare skin, eyes still hazy from sleep. I was already moving - out of bed, pulling on pants, blood pounding in my ears.“How many?” I demanded as I yanked on my shirt.“Too many,” Galen said grimly. “Scouts just returned. They’re flying Council banners. But they’re not emissaries.”Tessa was up now, dragging on a tunic, power already flickering across her skin in faint, silver sparks. “Enforcers?”Galen nodded once. “And then some. They’ve brought war beasts. Siege carts. Looks like half the Council’s private army is on the move.”I stepped forward, rage simmering beneath my skin. “How long until they reach the outer perimeter?”“Three hours. Four, if we’re lucky.”Tessa’s eyes met mine - calm, focused, deadly. No more time for softn