KARINA
Morning sunlight struggled through the narrow, high windows of the war room, sending long, sharp shadows over the worn stones. Stale coffee, cheap tobacco, and the sharp tang of sweat from early morning sparring hung thick in the cold air. Sitting on a wooden bench against the far wall, I rubbed a damp towel over my neck, letting the burn in my thighs slowly settle. Across the cavernous room, Kole stood hunched over a sprawling, wrinkled topographical map spread across a massive oak table, surrounded by his top four lieutenants.
They were plotting a hit.
Staying perfectly still, I slowed my breathing, tuning out the faint clanging of metal from the armory down the hall.
"The supply caravan moves through the northern pass at exactly 0200 hours," Jax rumbled, tracing a thick fi
