Kora’s POV
The night after the forest ambush was one of the longest of my life. We’d barely made it back to the compound before dawn, dragging Mara’s wounded warriors with us. The courtyard smelled of smoke and iron, the walls splattered with ash. Every sound felt sharper—boots crunching gravel, the low growl of patrol wolves, the faint hiss of dying embers from the flames I had unleashed.
I should have been exhausted, but I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Aaron’s shadow in the fire, his voice wrapping around my mind like a snake. *I’m in your blood.* Those words looped like a curse, gnawing at me.
I sat on the balcony of Edward’s quarters, knees drawn to my chest, cloak wrapped tight. Below me, the packhouse was quiet except for the faint shuffle of guards changing s
