Author's Note: This is Chapter 31, which was published out of order. If you haven’t read Chapter 32 yet, please read this one before and then go back to it to avoid confusion. Sorry for the mix-up!
The tension in the air was thick as I paced outside the room where the healers were tending to Carter. Every second felt like an eternity as I waited for news, my heart pounding in my chest. The packhouse, though now quiet after the battle, held an air of unease. The rogues had been defeated, but the cost had been high. Carter’s injuries weighed heavily on my mind, and I could feel the bond between us pulsating with both pain and fear.
I tried to steady my breath, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw the image of Carter, bleeding, falling to the ground. It tore at me, the guilt gnawing at my
