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."

said, though his wince betrayed his words.

said quietly. "But they're afraid,

them there's still hope. That we can

Nathan and Anica near the central fire.

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

this," Anica added. "The Pact is breaking. The balance

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

order to life itself. And every time you draw on its power, you're pulling

keep pushing the way you did today, the Pact

froze, her breath catching. "What do

Pact is a bond," Anica explained. "When it's strained, it pulls strength from the