The morning after the scroll’s discovery brought a shift in the air—subtle but undeniable. The warriors of both Silverclaw and Nightshade moved through the joint camp with guarded glances and half-whispers. Unity might have been the goal, but suspicion still ran deep, especially with the knowledge that Ashyra and Stephan were fated mates.
And bonded pairs were rare. Powerful. Feared.
Ashyra stood at the center of the war table inside a reinforced command tent, eyes locked on the map spread before her. Red markers indicated confirmed rogue activity. Black stones signaled casualties. Gold pins marked potential gate sites tied to ancient ley lines.
“This one,” she said, tapping the eastern corner near the Shattered Pines. “He’ll go for this next. The energy there is fractured—weak enough f
