I stood in the center of the clearing, the weight of the world pressing down on my shoulders. The final battle was here, and I could feel it in the air—the tension crackling like static before a storm. Magnus and Elias, two alphas fighting for control, had brought us to this moment. Neither was willing to back down, neither was willing to relinquish their claim to me.
But this time, I wasn’t just a pawn. This time, I would make my own fate.
Elias stepped beside me, his presence a steadying force. His fingers brushed mine, and his grip tightened as if he knew what was coming. "We don’t have to do this," he whispered, his voice low and full of concern. "You don’t have to choose, Lena. We can walk away from all of this."
I shook my head, my heart pounding. "I can’t just walk away. Not from
