Kieran’s POVThe howl cuts through the air like a blade.Every sound dies with it.For one suspended heartbeat, the world freezes—my lungs, my blood, my thoughts—everything locking in place as that familiar, bone-deep vibration ripples through the pack lands. It’s a warning. A challenge. A declaration of war all wrapped into one.My body reacts before my mind does.I turn to Zoey instantly, my hands already on her, scanning her from head to toe like sheer will alone might reveal injuries. My palm cups her face, thumb brushing her cheek, grounding myself in the warmth of her skin.“You’re okay?” My voice is rough, unsteady despite my effort to keep it controlled.She nods, eyes sharp and alert, not afraid—never afraid. “I am. But we have to get down there.”Under any other circumstance, I might have laughed at her choice of pronouns. We. The audacity of it. But there is no humor left in me now.“We?” I shake my head sharply. “No. You’re staying here.”Her expression falls immediately,
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