Chapter Sixty Three

* Regina *

When I returned to Alpha Archer's tent, the sounds of the summit still lingered in my ears, the fading roars, the shuffle of warriors, and the low hum of talk around the fires. The sky has turned bruised purple now, the sun slipping down behind the ridges, leaving the camp wrapped in restless anticipation for the next day's challenges.

Inside our tent, the smell of leather, smoke, and pine resin filled the space. I moved quickly, setting things in order just as Alpha Archer would want them, folding his cloak neatly over the cot, brushing the dust from his boots, and refilling the jug of water on the low table. My hands were steady while working, but my chest wasn't. It felt tight, like my heartbeat was caught between pride and dread.

I could still see the look on his face earlier, sharp, unreadable, but edged with something like disapproval. He hadn't shouted then, but the weight in his tone when he told me to return was enough to make me move before thinking. He didn't lik