Kora’s POV
The morning after the nightmare dawned crimson. Not with sunrise—no, this was deeper, darker, almost as if the sky itself had bled overnight. The air was thick with tension, the kind that pressed on your chest and made your heart work harder just to beat.
I knew before anyone said a word that something was wrong. The entire packhouse hummed with unease. Wolves paced. Doors slammed. The faint metallic scent of fear clung to the walls.
Edward was gone from bed when I woke. His side of the sheets was cold. He’d been up for hours.
I threw on a cloak and followed the noise to the courtyard. A crowd had gathered—dozens of wolves, warriors, and elders, all murmuring in low, agitated voices. Edward stood in the center, his aura sharp, controlled, but barely. Mara was beside him, arm
