Moments later,
Rylan's POV
The victory howls of the Thorne Pack echoed through the valley, a triumphant roar that should have signaled the end of our nightmare. We had pushed the demonic dregs back into the abyss of the Blackwood, and by all rights, I should have been at the front of the line, celebrating the survival of our borders.
But the triumph tasted like ash. My internal compass was spinning, my wolf pacing a frantic, jagged line behind my ribs.
I had been the one to carry Elara to my tent before the first horn sounded. I remembered the weight of her, frail and shivering from the silver-dust Kaelen forced her to inhale to keep her "compliant." I had tucked the furs around her, whispering a promise that I would return. I had posted two of my most trusted Bark Night sentries at t
