Ariana's POV:
The beast-horde alarm split the sky. I was by the hearth, brewing medicine for my mother. The sound was sharp and shrill, carrying a chill from the North.
The ladle slipped from my hand. Scalding liquid splashed onto the back of my hand, but I felt no pain. A terrible thought struck me.
Was it Kyle?
Had he found the hidden passage under the altar, seen through my false death, and brought the Blood Moon warriors south to drag me back and make me his blessing tool again?
"Ariana, don't be afraid." Damian pressed a steady hand on my trembling shoulder. "It isn't Kyle. It is the remnants of the Blood Moon Pack. They were shattered by the beast horde. The usurper who took over as their new Alpha is bringing defeated soldiers and a group of bewitched wild wolves toward us. As
