ANMELDENSelena's POV
I don’t approach him.The east cabin sits quietly at the edge of the territory, small and unassuming, with a guard stationed outside. I can see it from the garden or out of the corner of my eye through the window. But I don’t make my way to it. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
I keep telling myself I'm not ready, that I need more time. Truth is, I’m just scared. Scared of what I might feel. Scared of what I might not.
---The next afDamian'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
Caden's POVThe river is behind us, but the cold? That’s still here.Maya trips over a root, manages to catch herself, and keeps moving. Her teeth are chattering, just like mine. The water took all our warmth, leaving us shivering."Keep going.""Shut up," she snaps, her voice shaking.We push through the trees, away from the river, away from those rogues. I have no idea if they’re on our trail, and I’m not about to look back.Maya stumbles again. This time, she falls, her knee smashing into a rock. She hisses, tries to get up, but can’t."Let me see.""I'm fine.""You’re bleeding."She glances at her knee, where the rock tore through her pants and cut her skin. Blood is trickling down her shin, dark and thin.I crouch down and pull her arm over my shoulder."I can walk.""Just lean on me. We don’t have time for this."I lift her up and
Maya's POVThe ridge is taller than I thought it would be.Caden and I ditched the SUV about an hour ago, hiding it in a thicket of pines. Now, we’re crawling on our stomachs through the scrub grass, with the eastern valley stretched out beneath us. The morning sun is still low in the sky, casting long shadows.And then I spot it.Tents. Hundreds of them. Fires burning. Wagons. Wolves weaving between the rows like ants. Viktor's army.“Holy hell,” I murmur.Caden lifts a pair of binoculars, scanning the camp. “Twelve hundred. Maybe more. Looks like they’ve been busy.”I take the binoculars from him and look for myself. The camp spreads across the valley floor, divided into sections—training areas, supply depots, and a large central tent that’s bigger than the rest, with banners flying—a black wolf on a red background.“Viktor’s tent?”&
Selena's POV~Bloodmoon feels smaller than I remember.We cross the border without a pause. The council wolves wave us through; they know exactly who we are and why we're here.Damian drives with one hand on the wheel, the other holding mine. He hasn’t let go since we pulled away from the lodge, an
The car moves through darkness, headlights cutting a narrow path through trees that have stood here for centuries. Marcus sits up front with Damian, giving directions in a low voice. Maya is beside me in the back, her knife already in her hand, her jaw set. Caden rides in the vehicle behind us with
The car pulls into Silvermoon as the last light fades from the sky. People are still hard at work—hammering, hauling, rebuilding. They glance up as we drive by, some wave, but most just watch. They know something went down tonight, but they don’t quite know what it is.Damian parks in front of the
The paper doesn't change. I keep staring at it, hoping the letters will somehow shift into something that makes sense.*Samuel Hayes.*My dad. The man who raised me. Who held me when Mom passed away. Who risked everything to help me against Elena. Who stood by my side.Damian's hand covers mine. "S







