( Aria's POV )
The storm had passed, but the air still hummed with its memory. Every sound in the forest seemed sharper, every scent heavier. The wet ground clung to my boots as Kael led us deeper into the ravine where the trees grew too close together for moonlight to reach. The Beta pack trailed behind us, moving in tense, measured silence.
We had survived the night, but it didn’t feel like victory.
Kael hadn’t spoken since Ronan disappeared into the mist. He walked ahead now, shoulders tight, his golden eyes dimmed, his thoughts too loud for even the quiet to hide.
I could still feel the pulse of power beneath my skin, faint but alive, whispering like a living thing I couldn’t silence. It wasn’t just mine anymore. It was ours, the child’s, Kael’s, mine, and it frightened me how much
