The war room was thick with tension and the scent of pine smoke from the maps spread across the long oak table. Reports of burning villages and kidnapped families had arrived throughout the day, each one worse than the last. Varak’s forces had split: one army continued to harass the academy’s outer walls with probing attacks, while the second struck deep into allied pack territories, leaving fire and fear in their wake.
Elara Voss stood beside Kai Thorn, her silver light flickering faintly at her fingertips as she absorbed the grim news. The mate bond hummed steadily between them, a constant source of strength amid the chaos.
Headmaster Eldric’s face was etched with exhaustion. “We cannot defend every territory at once. If we send too many fighters out, the academy falls. If we stay behi
