ASHER’S POV
The dawn broke.
Cold and gray, the mist still clinging to the trees around Silverfang Academy.
Today was the second survival test, and the tension was thick enough to cut with a blade.
I could feel it in every muscle, every breath.
But my focus was clear—Lila.
My one, true mate.
From the moment we stepped onto the training grounds, I stayed close to her. The way Kade’s sharp eyes flicked to her made me uneasy.
That man was a predator, always circling, waiting for a weakness to pounce on.
I wasn’t about to let him isolate my mate—not while I still had breath in my lungs.
Never!
“Stay close, Liam,” I murmured as we lined up with the others. The others barely glanced at us, but I knew the undercurrent of whispers.
I felt as if they all sensed it—that bond simmeri
