LOGINDamian's POV
The dawn is gray and chilly.
I find myself at the window, watching as the light gradually spreads across the sky. Behind me, I hear Selena hurriedly putting on her boots and jacket.
"You're not coming," I say without turning around.
"Damian—" she starts.
"You're not coming." I finally face her. "Caden is at the border. We don’t know what he wants or if this is a trap."
"It’s not a trap."
"You can't b
Selena's POVThe door swings open. Damian walks in, still wearing his Border gear, his hair damp from the chill outside. He reaches for the lamp, but I stop him."Don’t."He turns toward me. In the dim light, I can just make out his features. But I know the shape of him, the feel of his breath, the way he stands.I cross the room and take his hand, pulling him toward me. He comes without a fight.I lean him against the door, which closes with a soft thud. I kiss him—hard, desperate, not holding back. He kisses me back, his hands wandering to my waist, my back, my hair. We pull apart, gasping for air."This might be our last night." I caress his face. "I don’t want to waste it. I want you—every minute, all night. Until I can’t move."He exhales, not responding with words. Instead, he kisses me again, this time slower, deeper.I pull him toward the bed.He undresses me carefully,
Selena's POVThe medical tent is filled with the scents of herbs and antiseptic.Greta has laid out bandages, salves, and a bowl of water. Rina is sitting on a stool in the corner, her legs swinging and holding a bundle of cloth."Are you sure you want to do this?" asks Greta."I need to practice. The battle is coming.""You're carrying twins; you shouldn’t push yourself too hard.""I know what I’m carrying. But I have to do it."She studies my expression for a moment, then nods. "Okay, just small wounds. Nothing deep."Rina raises her hand. "Can I help? I can be a patient! I’m really good at being a patient. One time I had the flu and stayed in bed for three days. Well, okay, it was two days. Actually, it was just one day. But I was very patient about it!"Greta ignores her and picks up a small knife."I’ll make a shallow cut on my hand. You’ll heal it."I nod.
Damian's POVThe war room stands empty, just the two of us inside.Caden is on the other side of the table, maps sprawled out between us. The lamp flickers softly. Outside, the pack house is still; everyone else has gone off to eat, to rest, to pretend like the looming war isn’t approaching.We’ve been at it for an hour, going back and forth."You're putting too many on the eastern side," Caden says, pointing at the map. "If Viktor pretends to attack there and goes for the north instead, we’ll be left wide open.""Borgov's scouts are saying the eastern route is where they’ll hit hardest.""Borgov's scouts were wrong about their numbers before."I tense up, jaw clenched. "You got a better plan then?"He moves his finger along a path on the map. "We split our forces. Send a smaller group to the east and keep the bulk of our warriors here, on the ridge. If Viktor goes for the east, we can rein
Selena's POVThe war room slowly fills up.Damian is at the head of the table, maps laid out in front of him. Borgov stands in the corner with his arms crossed, his scarred face as tough as ever. Greta is sitting by the window, with Lily on her lap. Rina hovers near the door, trying to make herself seem smaller.Maya limps in, her knee freshly bandaged. Caden walks in after her, his face still pale and dark shadows under his eyes.They move like they’ve been through this drill before—Maya takes her place on the left side of the table, while Caden settles on the right. Their eyes connect for just a fleeting moment before they look away. Something unspoken passes between them.I catch the exchange.Maya looks away first, and Caden's gaze shifts to the map.I keep my expression neutral.“Report,” Damian commands.Maya gestures at the eastern ridge. “Viktor's camp is in the valley
Selena's POVThe afternoon light filters gently through the windows.Lily's asleep on my lap, all curled up against me. Her breathing is slow and calm—just peaceful. I run my fingers through her hair, and I can feel the babies moving a bit in response.Rina's sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of me, a plate of sandwiches resting on her lap. She’s been chatting away for over an hour now. Maybe even longer."—and then Borgov said I had good form. Good form! Can you even believe that? I almost toppled over three times, but he said it was good! Maybe he was just being nice. Do you think he was being nice? He doesn’t seem like he is, more like the type to make you run laps until you’re sick. But he said good form. I’m going to remember that forever.""That’s great, Rina.""Right? And do you think Maya and Caden are okay? They've been gone for ages. Like, a super long time. What if s
Maya's POVI wake up feeling warm.Not from the fire—it went out hours ago, leaving only ash and cold. No, this warmth is something else. It’s solid and steady. I open my eyes to find Caden's arms around me, his chest pressed against my back, his breath slow and rhythmic on my neck.We're all tangled up—his legs intertwined with mine, his arm resting on my waist.I should probably move, push away, say something about personal space and boundaries, and remind him that he hasn't exactly been forgiven for everything.But I don't move.I can feel his chest rise and fall, his heartbeat steady and slow. Mine, on the other hand, is racing.I close my eyes again, tuning into the sounds of the cave—the drip of water echoing from somewhere deeper, the scratching of branches against the stone. And outside—Voices.I freeze.Caden wakes up immediately, his body stiffening, his hand
Selena's POV~Seeing the Hayes property in daylight feels different.No shadows lurking, no mist, no eerie figures hiding. Just an old house, a crumbling wall, and a garden overtaken by weeds. We stand at the edge of the property, with Damian on my left and Maya on my right, and there’s an eerie sti
Selena's POV~I wake up before the sun rises.Damian is still sleeping next to me, his arm resting across my waist, his breathing calm and steady. I don’t want to move. I don’t want to wake him. We’re heading to the mountains today, and I’m not sure when we’ll have another morning like this—quiet,
Selena's POV~I can’t sleep.The letter's tucked in my jacket, pressed against my heart. No need to read it again—I know every word by heart. You were the best thing I ever did. His blood runs in you. You are not alone.I sit by the window, watching the sky brighten, letting her voice sink in deep.
Selena's POV~Here I am, standing in a field.The grass is tall, glowing gold in the sunset, swaying like waves. I’ve never set foot in this place before, but it feels so familiar, like somewhere I’ve been longing to discover.In the middle of the field, a woman stands with her back to me. Her hair







