The walk back to the estate was painfully quiet.
Warriors searched every inch of the forest, but no one found the hidden sanctuary.
No one found Seraphine.
Every time someone asked another question about the strange battle, Kael answered before I could.
I didn’t understand why.
But each time he did, the knot in my chest loosened a little more.
He had every reason to walk away from me.
Instead…
He kept choosing to stay.
By the time we reached the pack gates, the morning sun had climbed high into the sky.
Villagers gathered along the road, eager to hear what the patrol had discovered.
“Did they find the rogues?”
“Was it really magic?”
“Are we safe?”
Alpha Rowan raised one hand, silencing the crowd.
“The patrol found evidence of a battle, but no enemies remain within our border
