ASHER'S POV
We were out in the woods again, but it was nothing like the night before.
That night had been about teaching, about laughter and breathing and the way the moonlight made Lila’s hair glow.
Tonight was different.
Tonight, the whole academy was on edge, and so was I.
It was night patrol drills—mandatory, brutal, meant to weed out the weak and keep everyone sharp.
The instructors paired us up, flashlights and radio earpieces, and sent us into the trees.
Kade was in charge, standing at the edge of the clearing with his arms folded, his face a mask of boredom. But I saw the way his eyes followed “Liam.” Too close. Too long.
I waited for my name.
I waited for hers.
“Wolfe, Parker, you’re together,” Kade barked. His voice echoed through the trees, sharp as a slap.
I hid m
