Sera's POV
The ride back to Shadowmoon territory was the longest of my life.
Every step of my horse felt like an eternity. Every shadow in the forest made me flinch, every rustle of leaves sent my heart racing. The Council's words echoed in my mind on an endless loop—surrender the Lunaris, or we destroy you all. I couldn't shake them. Couldn't escape the weight of what I'd brought to these people, this pack, this family I'd never asked for but couldn't imagine losing.
Draven rode close beside me, his hand reaching out every few minutes to touch me—my arm, my leg, my hand, my face. Reassuring himself I was still there. Still his. Still alive. Through the bond, I felt his turmoil. The same fear I carried. The same desperate love. The same terrible knowledge that everything was about to ch
