Kora’s POV
The pack returned to the compound in silence. The path back through the forest was heavy with the scent of smoke and blood. Every branch felt like it was reaching for me, every shadow like Aaron’s smirk.
I clutched Edward’s hand so tightly my knuckles ached, but I couldn’t let go. My palms still burned faintly under my gloves. Even now, after washing them in the stream, the glow hadn’t fully faded.
No one dared speak to me. Not Mara, not the guards, not even the younger wolves who always trailed behind me. They stayed a few steps back, their whispers like the rustle of dead leaves.
When we reached the gates, Edward stopped abruptly. He didn’t look at me. He was staring straight ahead, his jaw clenched.
“Inside,” he said quietly to the guards. “Clear the hall. No one comes n
