Cassian's POV.
“You came,” I said as soon as I saw him at the edge of the yard. My voice was tight, strained. I wasn’t sure if I wanted anger, comfort, or just acknowledgment.
Magnus Draven.
“I had to,” he replied calm but firm. His eyes scanned the yard…the grieving families, the injured, the ones who had survived. Finally, his gaze landed on me. The silence was immediate, heavy. Even with death around us, his presence demanded attention.
“It… it was bad,” I said, my throat tight.
Father’s gaze moved over the pack members, lingering briefly on Aria. There was a subtle softening in his eyes...not approval, not judgment...but recognition. She was alive. That was enough.
“How did it happen?” he asked.
“An ambush,” I said, keeping my voice steady. I forced myself not to look at the e
