The wind hadn’t stopped howling since the explosion.Ash fell like snow, settling over the valley in soft, gray drifts. The once-bright circle of lights had gone dark; now only the twisted remains of Julian’s hybrids littered the frozen ground, steam rising from their broken shells.Aiden stumbled over a fallen beam, lungs burning. His coat was torn, blood soaking through one sleeve. Every muscle screamed, but he kept moving. “Dante!”A faint groan answered from the ridge above. He turned toward it, slipping on the ice, and found Dante half-buried under a collapsed antenna.“Hold still,” Aiden said, crouching beside him. “You’re bleeding—”“Not as much as you.” Dante’s voice was rough, but his grin was still there, faint beneath the soot. “You always manage to look worse after winning.”“This wasn’t a win.” Aiden pushed the beam aside, freeing him. “Julian got away.”“Again,” Dante muttered, trying to stand. His leg buckled; Aiden caught him before he hit the ground.The contact sent
Last Updated : 2025-10-18 Read more