Kora’s POV
Dawn came with gray skies and uneasy silence. The mist had thinned overnight, but the air still felt heavy—like the mountain itself was holding its breath. The pack moved quietly, too quietly. No laughter, no stray words, no warmth. Just the steady rhythm of boots against earth and the quiet clinking of weapons.
I walked near the back, beside Mara. Edward was ahead, talking with two of his scouts. Every so often, his head turned, his eyes scanning for danger, for me. Always for me.
But it wasn’t danger from outside that scared me anymore. It was the storm inside my chest.
Every few minutes, I felt a flicker—a small spark of heat that didn’t belong to me. A heartbeat that wasn’t mine. I tried to suppress it, to smother it, but it only grew stronger.
Aaron’s bond pulsed like
