All Chapters of Beyond Redemption: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Kora’s POVMorning came heavy and damp, the kind of cold that sank into your bones and refused to let go. The fire had burned down to little more than embers, and the forest around us was wrapped in mist so thick it was like walking through breath itself.The pack was restless. Luka moved stiffly, his wound still bothering him though he’d never admit it. Mara scowled at the mist as though she could burn it away with her glare. Even the younger ones, usually quick with whispered jokes or small comforts, were silent.Edward gave the order to move before anyone could complain. He didn’t say much, just adjusted his cloak and started forward. That was his way to push forward, no matter how heavy the burden.I followed close behind him, my steps uneven. His words from last night still echoed in my mind. Stop pushing me away.Was I? The thought gnawed at me. I hadn’t meant to, but maybe he was right. Maybe, in trying so hard to protect myself, I was building walls so high no one could reach

Kora’s POVThe hunters didn’t waste time. As soon as they broke through the tree line, their arrows flew. The sky hissed with them, sharp and black against the gray light.“Shields!” Edward roared.The front fighters raised makeshift barriers, some catching arrows in their arms and shoulders. The sound of wood splintering and metal clanging filled the air. I ducked low, pulling a boy with me as an arrow whistled past my head and struck the ground.“Stay down!” I hissed, but my voice shook. My whole body was trembling, not from the cold, but from the sheer panic clawing inside me.Hunters.I’d heard stories about them since I was a child. The cruelty. The cages. The way they skinned wolves alive for their pelts. My father used to say they weren’t human at all, but monsters in men’s flesh. And now they were here, their boots pounding the earth, their eyes burning with hatred.Edward was already in motion, blade flashing. He wasn’t just fighting — he was commanding, shouting orders betwe

Kora’s POVThe meadow stank of blood and smoke. The cries of the wounded bled into the silence left behind, a silence heavier than the mist itself.Edward didn’t move from in front of me. His blade hung at his side, dripping red into the grass, but his eyes stayed fixed on me, unblinking. It was like he was waiting for me to confess something I didn’t even understand.“I…” My voice cracked. I swallowed, trying again. “I don’t know what happened. I just threw the herbs into the water, and they—”“Collapsed.” Edward’s tone was flat, unreadable. His gaze flicked to the river, then back to me. “Hunters don’t collapse from herbs, Kora. Not unless the herbs were meant for them.”I shivered, the memory rushing back — their bodies jerking, their eyes rolling back white, the word *witch* echoing over the field.“I didn’t mean to,” I whispered. “I was just… trying to stop them.”Edward finally looked away, dragging a hand through his hair. For a moment, I thought he might say nothing at all. Th

Kora’s POVThe night stretched long, the firelight dancing on stone walls, shadows flickering like restless spirits. Sleep wouldn’t come. My mind spun too fast, my body too tense. Every time I closed my eyes, I imagined Aaron’s smirk in the dark, his voice winding through the cliffs.I wrapped Edward’s cloak tighter around me, though it wasn’t the cold that unsettled me—it was the knowing. He was out there. Somewhere in the vast wilderness of the mountains, Aaron was watching, waiting.The pack had scattered in small groups, some sleeping against the rocks, others standing guard at the edges of the overhang. Edward was awake still, leaning against a boulder not far from me, his eyes fixed on the shadows beyond the fire. He hadn’t spoken much since we set camp, but his silence wasn’t from weariness. It was the silence of a man who already knew the war wasn’t over.I finally forced myself to stand and walk over to him. His gaze shifted to me, and even in the dim glow of firelight, I saw

Kora’s POVThe plateau was quiet except for the wind and the rasp of our breaths. Everyone stared at the stone with my name carved into it. My stomach churned like I’d swallowed ice. I wanted to scrape the letters away with my nails, bury them under rocks, anything to erase that message. But it wasn’t just stone—it was a promise.Edward didn’t move for a long time. His hand rested on the hilt of his blade, his eyes dark and distant. Finally, he spoke, his voice like steel cutting through the air.“We move tonight.”Mara blinked. “Tonight? Alpha, the path ahead—”“I don’t care about the path ahead.” His voice sharpened. “The longer we stay here, the more advantage we give him.”No one argued. They just started packing up, silent and quick.I stayed where I was, my arms wrapped tight around myself. My belly felt heavy, my heartbeat louder than the wind. Aaron’s name had always been a shadow in my life, but now it was a blade at my throat.Edward came to me, crouched low so his eyes were