***Katherines POV***
~The Same Night~
The pouch felt warm against Katherine’s hip as she slipped into her chambers and barred the door. She didn’t bother with the lanterns; moonlight spilling across the floor was enough.
She emptied the pouch onto the desk, her lips curving as stones, bones, and scraps of parchment clattered against the wood. Each piece hummed faintly with stolen power. Some she had bartered for in whispers and shadows, others she had claimed in blood.
She spread her hands over them, her pulse syncing with their rhythm. “Almost ready,” she murmured.
Crystal’s aura had flared today, brighter and sharper than ever before. Katherine could feel it—an ancient power resonating beneath the girl’s skin, one that no ordinary wolf should have carried. That made her dangerous. T
