The dawn broke with a chill that bit at my skin—a reminder that even in victory, the cost of war never truly ceased. I sat on a low stone at the edge of the camp, watching the faint light extend over the damaged fields. The recollections of the night's pandemonium still rang in my mind: the blood, the betrayals, and the vows we had vowed in the face of overpowering darkness. But amid that carnage, one truth had crystallized within me—a truth that would shape not only my destiny but the fate of our entire pack.
I was not merely Aria's mate. I was her protector, her partner, and now, I was to embark on a journey that would test every fibre of my being. My journey was not one of simple recovery or duty—it was a quest to reclaim the part of me that had been nearly lost in the storms of betrayal and sacrifice. In the calm hours before the camp awakened, I vowed that my route ahead must be formed in both grief and optimism.
