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."

though his wince betrayed his words. "What about the pack? The

said quietly. "But they're afraid,

them there's still

the central fire. The flames flickered weakly, mirroring the strained

ground," Nathan said, his tone grim. "And the Lycan King knows it.

keep fighting like this," Anica added. "The Pact is breaking. The

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

you draw on its power,

"But you need to understand the cost. If you keep pushing the way you

froze, her breath catching. "What do you

"When it's strained, it pulls strength from the connections you value most. Your pack. Your mate. Your