LOGINIrene's POV
The moon hung low over the stronghold.
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Karson'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 Howlers Pack convoy arrived just after noon.I heard the engines before I saw them. The rumble of vehicles climbing the mountain road. The guards at the gate calling out identification.Lucas.Part of me was relieved. We needed allies. Needed every advantage we could get against the
Irene's POVThe calm before the storm.That's what the past few days had felt like. Warriors trained. Defenses strengthened. Patrols doubled. Everyone preparing for the battle we knew was coming.But the real threat wasn't just the armies gathering outside our borders.It was the snake hiding among
Irene's POVWord traveled fast in a Pack.By morning, everyone knew about the attack in the courtyard. The bodies of the Blood Moon wolves had been removed, but the bloodstains remained. Dark patches on the stone that no amount of scrubbing could fully erase.Lexie had locked herself in her quarter
Irene's POVThe stronghold had never looked so beautiful.Lanterns hung from every building, casting warm golden light across the courtyard. Colorful banners fluttered in the evening breeze, bearing the crescent moon and wolf symbol of Dark Hollows. Flowers had been woven into garlands that decorat







