ANMELDENMalcolmThree days after Rain returned, Ryan remained exactly the same. His body didn't decay but he was cold as ice with no pulse At some point, I stopped expecting miracles every time I walked into his room.The first day after Rain's rebirth, everyone had convinced themselves it was only a matter of time before Ryan woke up too. It seemed logical. Rain had died and somehow found her way back. The wild wolf had returned with her. Surely Ryan couldn't be far behind.But every hour that passed chipped away at that hope.His condition never improved. His eyes never opened. His breathing never changed.The occasional flicker of shadows beneath his skin still appeared from time to time, but nobody understood what it meant. It wasn't enough to tell us whether he was alive, dead, trapped, or something in between.All it did was keep us guessing.Unfortunately, the rest of Septha wasn't interested in waiting for answers.The kingdom was becoming more unstable with every passing day.The cr
MalcolmBy sunset, my head felt like it was going to explode.Ever since Rain appeared with the wild wolf, the chaos outside Aaron's house had only grown worse.More wolves kept arriving.More questions kept coming.Nobody seemed satisfied with the answers they were given.Not that we had many answers to offer.I stood on the front porch, staring out at the crowd gathered across the field.Hundreds of wolves were still there.Some sat in groups discussing what they had witnessed.Others argued loudly about what Rain's return meant.A few simply stood staring toward the house as if they expected another miracle to happen at any moment.I honestly couldn't blame them.A day ago, I would have called anyone insane for suggesting somebody could come back from the dead.Now I wasn't so sure about anything anymore.The front door opened behind me.Lydia stepped outside carrying a cup of coffee.She handed it to me.I accepted it gratefully."Thanks.""You look terrible."I laughed weakly."I
MalcolmI nearly knocked Aaron over trying to get past him."Malcolm, what happened?" he shouted as I rushed through the hallway.I didn't stop."Rain!"The name came out before I could stop it.Aaron's eyes widened."What?"By then Lydia had already caught up behind me."She's alive!"The second those words left her mouth, everyone in the house froze.Aaron stared at her. Hannah stared at her.Even Priscilla, who had been sitting quietly in the corner all morning, shot to her feet.For a moment, nobody moved. Then everyone moved at once.We hurried toward the room where Rain's body had been placed.Hope surged through me so strongly that it almost hurt.Please. Please let this be true. I reached the room first and threw open the door.Then I stopped. The bed was empty. My heart dropped.The blankets had been pushed aside. The room itself was completely vacant. Rain was gone. Aaron appeared beside me. "What the hell?"Lydia pushed past both of us. "I saw her!"The panic in her voice
MalcolmI barely slept.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ryan's face.Every time I drifted off, I heard my own voice agreeing to Kade's plan.By morning, I felt exhausted. Not physically. Emotionally.The kind of exhaustion that settled deep in your chest and refused to leave.I was sitting alone in Aaron's living room when shouting erupted outside.At first I ignored it.People had been gathering near the house since sunrise. News of Ryan's death had spread across Septha overnight, and wolves were arriving by the hour.I figured it was more grieving. More questions. More people looking for answers I didn't have.Then the shouting grew louder. And louder.Soon it became impossible to ignore.I stood and walked toward the window, but the sight outside made my stomach drop.Hundreds of wolves filled the grounds surrounding the house.Some stood on rooftops. Others crowded the streets. More were still arriving.The crowd stretched farther than I could see."What is this?" I muttered.A
MalcolmThe room felt different now.Earlier, there had still been hope. Desperate, fragile hope, but hope nonetheless. Everyone had been waiting for Ryan and Rain to wake up, even if nobody wanted to admit it out loud.Now that hope was gone.The healers had examined them several times throughout the day, hoping they had missed something, but each examination ended the same way. No pulse. No breathing. No sign of life.Ryan and Rain were dead.Even after hearing it over and over again, I still couldn't make myself believe it.My eyes kept drifting toward Ryan's bed.He looked peaceful, almost like he was sleeping after one of his exhausting training sessions. If I stared long enough, I could almost convince myself that he would open his eyes and complain about everyone crowding around him.But he never did.Neither did Rain.Nobody in the room seemed to know what to say. Lydia sat quietly beside Rain's bed, holding a tissue in her hands that was already soaked through from tears. Han
MalcolmKade stood silently near the wall. For once, he wasn't arguing. He wasn't mocking me. He wasn't pushing. He simply waited for my decision.That scared me more than anything.Because it meant he truly believed his plan was their only chance.Aaron broke the silence first."What happens if we do nothing?"Nobody answered immediately.Kade finally looked at him."They die."The words landed heavily in the room.Aaron swallowed."And if we try your plan?"Kade's expression darkened."They might die."Might.The word echoed inside my head. Neither choice guaranteed survival. One path ended with certain death. The other offered a chance. A terrible chance. But a chance nonetheless.I closed my eyes.Ryan would hate this. He would absolutely hate this. If he were awake, he'd probably punch Kade before telling us all to stop acting like idiots.The thought almost made me smile.Almost.When I opened my eyes again, Ryan was still lying motionless on the bed. And time was still running
Ryan The moment the kiss ended, I knew the problem had been solved. Not in the way I expected, perhaps. But solved all the same. Rain stood a few steps away from me, her breathing uneven, her eyes wide with shock. Her fingers hovered near her lips as if she could still feel the imprint of mine t
RainThe next morning came too soon.I had barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the dark trees of Nightshade pressing in, heard Ryan’s voice telling me I had no value if I failed, felt the weight of eyes on me.When I finally gave up on sleep, I sat at the edge of the bed, staring at my
RainBy the time my father finished speaking, my heart was beating so hard I could barely hear anything else.Hannah stood beside him, her chin lifted, her eyes fixed on me with a look I knew too well. Not quite a smile. Not quite pity. Something in between.I knew she was waiting for what I'd say
Rain Morning came too quickly.I barely slept the second night in his room. Not because I was afraid he would touch me this time, but because my mind wouldn’t stop moving. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the training field again. I heard his voice, sharp and cold. I saw the way he had looked at







