로그인Karson's POVThe scratches on her arm weren't deep.But they were there. Red lines carved into her skin. Evidence of a fight that could have gone differently. Evidence of my failure.I watched her apply the ointment. Her movements efficient. Practiced. She didn't wince at the sting. Didn't hesitate or fumble.
Irene's POVThe battlefield was still settling when Karson appeared at my side.He moved fast despite his injured leg. Limping across the blood-soaked ground like the wound didn't exist. Like nothing mattered except reaching me."Irene." His voice was rough. Breathless. "Are you hurt? Did they—"
Irene's POVLexie was broken beneath me.Bleeding. Whimpering. Defeated.I shifted back to human form. Stood over her crumpled body. Ready to end this once and for all."It's over, Lexie." My voice came out cold. Flat. "You've lost."
Irene's POVMidnight came slowly.I waited in the shadows near the depot. My body tense. My senses stretched to their limits. Every rustle of leaves. Every whisper of wind. Every distant owl call amplified in the darkness.The children were hidden safely behind the main building. Far from the trap zone. Close enough to alert us if their sharp noses detected anything unusual.
Irene's POVThe trap needed bait.Good bait. The kind that would make Lexie abandon caution entirely. The kind that would draw her in like a moth to flame.I knew exactly what that bait needed to be.Me.
Irene's POVThe news reached me before dawn.Ken slipped into my tent while the camp still slept. His face grim. His eyes sharp with urgency."Princess. We have a problem."I sat up immediately. Sleep forgotten. "What is it?"
Irene's POVThe reports kept getting worse.Every hour, scouts returned with new intelligence. More wolves joining the enemy alliance. More reinforcements arriving at Marcus's camp. More reasons to believe we were facing impossible odds."Iron Claw has sent an additional fifty warriors," Ken report
Irene's POV
Irene's POVThe battle was over.The cleanup was just beginning.Bodies littered the ground around the warehouse. Ours and theirs, tangled together in death. Warriors moved through the carnage, separating friend from foe, carrying the wounded to the infirmary.I should have gone to rest. Should hav
Irene's POVThe morning started like any other.Training exercises in the courtyard. Supply inventories to review. Patrol reports to analyze. The routine of war preparation had become almost normal.Almost.Ken found me near the training grounds, his expression troubled."Princess. We have a situat







