The house on the rugged cliffs of Cape Breton was supposed to be a sanctuary. It was a sprawling, glass-and-timber modern lodge tucked far away from the prying eyes of the Blackwood pack and the ruined halls of the Iron Spires.
Out the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, the Atlantic Ocean stretched endlessly, churning in restless shades of slate and foam.
Inside, however, the silence was deafening.
Bella stood in the minimalist, sunlit kitchen, staring down at the steam rising from a mug of black coffee. Her hands were steady, but her mind was racing.
For five years, her entire existence had been defined by survival—running, hiding, watching every shadow, and weaponizing every ounce of her will to protect Noah and Ava.
Now, with the Council dismantled and the immediate threats neutra
