Kora’s POV
The night after the attack stretched endlessly, heavy with smoke and silence. The fires had been put out, but their smell still lingered, burned into my skin, into my lungs. I sat on the edge of the courtyard long after the others had gone, staring at the blackened earth where bodies had lain only hours ago.
Edward had tried to coax me back to our room, but I couldn’t. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw their faces, our pack members who hadn’t made it, the glow of those strange, red eyes, the way their bodies had moved like broken puppets. It wasn’t just a rogue attack. Mara was right. This was Aaron testing us, poking at our defenses to see how far he could reach.
And he’d reached too far.
My hands shook in my lap. Fire still flickered faintly under my skin, restless, unsat
