The battlefield was a ghost of fire and smoke. Broken constructs smoldered in the snow, shattered runes hissing like wounded serpents. The smell of blood, burned flesh, and magic hung thick in the air, clawing at the lungs.
Zack’s POV
I dropped to my knees in the wreckage, blade still slick with dark ichor. Zeus prowled inside me, muscles twitching, senses scanning for any lingering threat. Even with Kieran’s right-hand lieutenant destroyed, I couldn’t shake the tension. The Alpha instinct didn’t rest, not after what we’d just survived.
“Status report!” I barked. My voice carried over the ruined battlefield, cutting through smoke and the distant moans of injured Lycans.
Sam appeared at my side, Jesse and Ashly flanking him, and we moved like shadows through the chaos. Each step crunche
