Mira's pov The northern border marker rose stark and lonely against the darkening horizon as I approached alone, my heart hammering violently despite every controlled breath I forced myself to take. Somewhere behind me, hidden along the ridge line, Kade, Alder, and the rest of Austin's team waited in careful, silent positions, though the isolation of walking this final stretch alone pressed heavy and cold against every nerve in my body. Midnight arrived exactly as the moon crested fully over the tree line, and moments later, headlights cut through the darkness, a single vehicle approaching slowly from the opposite direction. Victor Kaine emerged first, moving with unhurried, deliberate calm, and my breath caught sharply as Alina stumbled out behind him, hands bound, though otherwise apparently unharmed. "Mira," Alina called out, relief and fear tangling together in her voice. "You shouldn't have come." "Quiet," Kaine said mildly, though something dangerous edged beneath the calm
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