LOGINIrene's POV
Being bedridden was its own kind of torture.
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Karson's POVThe forest was different at night.Shadows stretched between the trees like dark fingers. Moonlight filtered through the canopy in scattered patches. Every sound amplified in the stillness. Every rustle of leaves a potential threat.I followed Irene through the darkness. Keeping my footsteps light. Matching her pace exactly.
Irene's POVKen arrived just as the meeting was winding down.His face was grim. The kind of grim that meant bad news. The kind that made my stomach clench before he even opened his mouth."Princess." He gave a quick nod to the elders. "I need to speak with you. Privately."
Irene's POVThe war room felt smaller with everyone crowded inside.Elders filled the seats around the main table. Maps and diagrams spread across every surface. The smell of blood and smoke still lingered on our clothes from the battle hours before.We had won the skirmish. But winning a battle wasn't the same as winning a war.
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 POVThey came at dawn.Not the full-scale assault we had been preparing for. Something smaller. Faster. A surgical strike designed to cripple us before the real battle began.The alarm howls woke me from restless sleep. I was on my feet before my eyes fully opened, instinct taking over."Th
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







