••• Victoria’s POV •••
The celebration had long since faded into the hush of night, but sleep remained a distant notion. I stepped onto the balcony, the cool air brushing against my skin like an old memory. Below me, the pack grounds glowed faintly with the last embers of lanterns, and laughter still drifted from the common house—muted now, like echoes of joy refusing to fade.
But I needed silence.
I needed stillness.
I pulled a shawl over my shoulders and descended the stone steps, barefoot, each step grounding me in the reality we had reclaimed. The dawn was still a breath away, stars fading behind a veil of early mist. This land had once been abandoned and forgotten, a symbol of betrayal. Now it smelled of pine, fresh earth, and something I hadn’t felt in years—hope.
My
