KAEL'S POV
I opened my eyes to the taste of ash and the weight of shadow. My chest ached with every ragged breath. The world was a blur: smoldering battlefield, bodies strewn like broken vows, and the heavy scent of moonfire lingering on my skin. Ayla knelt beside me, her face streaked with soot and determination, eyes blazing with something fierce—fear, fury, love—all tangled in silver threads.
"This isn't over," she whispered, voice ragged. Her hand hovered over my chest, as though daring the pain to take me. I reached up, fingers trembling, to close the space between us. When our palms met...
The thunder of hooves cut through the collapsing silence. I scrambled up, every muscle protesting. Behind Ayla, the burned remnants of our forces stirred. Wolves emerged from the haze—some injured, some unkilled—leaden eyes burning with loyalty. They circled us, silent guardians under a storm-dark sky.
