Luna Aurora (Alpha Fenrir)

Chapter

85

The camp was unnervingly quiet in the hours following the retreat. Wolves moved about with subdued urgency, their eyes downcast as they tended to the wounded and reinforced the defenses. The once-tight unity that defined the pack seemed to falter, a sense of unease

creeping into the air like an unseen specter.

Aurora sat at Cassian's bedside, her hands folded tightly in her lap. The healers had patched his wounds, but his recovery would take time. He stirred, his lashes fluttering as his eyes opened to find her watching him.

"You look worse than I feel," he murmured, his voice weak but tinged with a faint smile.

Aurora exhaled sharply, her relief momentarily overshadowing her worry. "You scared me."

wince betrayed his words. "What about the pack?

"But they're afraid, Cassian.

to show them there's still hope. That

central fire. The

Lycan

added. "The Pact is breaking. The balance

hands clenched at her sides. "Then we need to find

It's connected to the natural order to life itself. And every time you draw on its power, you're pulling from something greater than yourself." Aurora's chest tightened as the weight of their words

to understand the cost. If you keep pushing the way you

her breath catching. "What

is a bond," Anica explained. "When it's strained, it pulls strength from the connections you value most. Your pack. Your