The letter stabbed through the scout’s jacket was short. Brutal. Just enough to make my blood run cold.
Little Seer,
You thought saying no was the end. It wasn’t. It was just the start. Now I don’t need your permission for anything.
Come find me when you’re ready to finish this. Bring your Prince. Bring your Alpha. I’m done hiding.
— What's left of S.
Rhys dropped to his knees beside the scout, jaw clenched so hard I thought it might c***k. He closed the boy’s eyes, gentle hands at odds with the rage pouring off him. "His name was Callen," he said, voice rough. "Nineteen. He’d only been on the eastern watch three months."
"I’m sorry," I whispered. The words felt useless, swallowed by the blood staining the snow.
"Don’t be sorry," Rhys said, standing. Grief hardened into something co
