*Chapter 9: One Year Later*The valley wasn’t quiet anymore.Not in the way it used to be—empty, broken, holding its breath after Kael’s fall. Now it was loud with life. Children’s laughter echoed between the rebuilt cabins, smoke curled from the kitchens at dawn, and the training yard was never empty before sunset. Aria stood at the edge of the forest, watching it all. The wind tugged at her hair, the same wind that once carried the smell of smoke and ash. Now it smelled of pine, wet earth, and fresh bread from the ovens below. One hand rested on her stomach, the other on the hilt of the dagger Lucien insisted she never go anywhere without. “Still checking the perimeter yourself?” Lucien’s voice came from behind her, warm and amused. He stepped closer, and the bond between them hummed in recognition. It wasn’t frantic anymore. It was steady, like a heartbeat you’d grown used to hearing in the dark. He was different now. Less Alpha, more man. The silver in his hair had faded, bu
Last Updated : 2026-05-18 Read more