Amara’s POV
Sleep didn’t come.
Not after everything that happened.
Not after standing between two Alphas and forcing an entire courtyard of wolves to stand down.
Not after watching Kael walk away. Again.
I sat by the window in my chamber, staring out at the dark stretch of forest beyond Blackthorn’s walls. The night should have been calm. Still, it wasn’t.
Every sound felt louder, every movement sharper, even the wind brushing through the trees felt like a warning.
Something wasn’t over; it wasn’t even close.
“You’re going to wear a hole through that view.”
Elior’s voice came from the doorway.
I didn’t turn. “It’s better than pretending everything is fine.”
He stepped inside anyway. “No one thinks that.”
“Good.”
A pause.
Then softer, “I shouldn’t have put the pack up for a f
