Kora’s POV
The highlands rose before us like a jagged wall, peaks draped in mist and shadow. The path upward was narrow, uneven, the stones slick beneath our boots. Each step pulled us farther from the meadow, farther from the battlefield that still clung to my skin.
But the silence never left.
Even with the crunch of boots on rock, the hiss of wind through the cliffs, everything felt hushed. Tense. Every pack member kept their eyes low, their voices buried. No one wanted to say it out loud, but I could feel it pressing down on us all.
Witch.
The word still echoed in my ears.
Mara walked close behind me, her presence sharp as a blade. She hadn’t spoken since the fight, but I could feel her watching me, measuring me. Not with hatred, not exactly—but with something I couldn’t name.
Ed
