DRAVEN’S POV..
"Hello, dear brother."
The words hit me like a physical blow to the chest. The Alpha mask I had worn all day, the one that had nearly cracked under the pressure of the Northern Luna’s enigmatic stares, shattered instantly.
"Maribel," I rasped.
I didn't care about the mud on my boots or the chaos waiting for me outside. I crossed the room in three strides and pulled her into a crushing embrace. She felt small, but her strength was a wiry, lethal thing. We held each other in the silence of the crypt, two halves of a broken legacy finally coming back together in the dark.
"It’s been ages," I whispered into her hair, my voice thick. "Gods, it’s been a lifetime, Mari."
"Too long, Draven," she murmured, pulling back just enough to look at me. Her hands, cold as the North she
