The footsteps turned out to be Rhea’s patrol returning early, and Amara’s heart didn’t fully stop racing until she saw the familiar shapes step into the firelight. Still, the false alarm left something raw and unsettled in her chest that didn’t fade even after Damian assured her the perimeter was secure.
Inside the shelter, the air stayed thick with tension anyway. Wolves moved with clipped, efficient purpose, checking weapons, whispering strategy, glancing at Amara with expressions she couldn’t quite read. She tried to help where she could, stacking supplies, staying out of the way, but every task felt hollow next to the practiced certainty of everyone around her.
“You okay?” A younger wolf offered her a hesitant smile as he passed.
“Yeah,” she lied. “I’m fine.”
She wasn’t. The ache o
