Third Person’s POV


    Adide managed a choked–up “Mhm” in response.


    +10 Free Coins


    She bit her lower lip hard, struggling for a few seconds just to find her voice. “I’ll… I’ll send someone to the city guard post to see if Lance is back. Go inside and get some hot tea; warm up a bit. Paisley, look after Lisa for me, okay?”


    With that, she turned and bolted toward the estate gates, as if staying near those crates of gifts would physically burn her.


    Lisa watched Adide vanish into the dark, her own eyes swimming with tears. Leaning on Paisley, she stumbled slightly–looking like the stress of the border had aged her ten years in a single night–and slowly made her way into the manor.


    Adide stood out in the freezing wind for a long time. She let the biting air sting her eyes until the heat faded from them, then she finally wiped her face and headed back inside.


    By the time she reached the living room, Lisa had pulled herself together. She was sitting by the fire, peppering Paisley with questions about how Adide had been doing.


    When Lisa heard that Alpha Zander was safe at his own manor under house arrest, and that Adide and Lance had already snuck in to see him, she finally let out a breath she’d been holding since the border.


    Seeing Adide walk back in–back straight, boots clicking, wearing that sharp midnight–ck uniform–Lisa beamed with pride. Her girl hadn’t just grown up; she’d used her ws and fangs to carve out a legend for herself in a military worldpletely dominated by Alphas.


    Lisa gestured for her to sit, pushing the heavy gift talk aside for a moment. “Come sit. Paisley’s been telling me all about your exploits. Tell me, are you really running the capital’s elite forces now<i>? </i>Is it as easy as you make it look?”


    Adide walked over and dropped <i>into </i>a nearby armchair, her chin lifting with a spark of her old attitude. “It’s a st. If anyone gives me trouble, I just beat them until they listen.”


    Ever since the massacre, she’d rarely spoken like that. Usually, she was as cold and hard as a block of ice. But right now, she wanted Lisa to see the old Adide–the one who was loud, vibrant, and a total handful.


    Lisaughed heartily and reached over to ruffle her hair. <i>“</i>Good! A young she–wolf like you should be living life on her own terms.”


    Adide leaned her head onto Lisa’s shoulder. Up close, she realized just how much the woman had aged. The thick, dark hair Lisa used to be so proud of was now heavily streaked with silver.


    Adide remembered thest time she’d seen her before the war; Lisa only had a few gray hairs then, and she’d been obsessed with hiding them with expensive dyes. Now, the silver was everywhere, and Lisa clearly didn’t care anymore.


    Lisa’s heart ached for the girl struggling in this den of vipers, but Adide felt the same for her. The endless shelling, the freezing winds of the border, and the daily torture of waiting for the casualty lists had stripped the vanity away from the once–morous socialite.


    Lisa wiped her eyes and patted Adide’s shoulder. “I heard Prisci is staying here too. I should go pay my respects.”


    Adide snapped out of it, knocking <i>her </i>knuckles against her forehead. “Look at my brain–I got so excited I forgot the basics, Come on, let’s go.”


    +10 Free Coins


    Prisci actually knew Lisa had arrived the moment she stepped onto the property. She’d stayed in her room to give them space for their reunion, even telling the staff she’d skip dinner in the main hall.


    But before long, Adide and Paisley brought Lisa to her sitting room. Prisci was impressed; she liked that Lisa, a high–born she- wolf, still followed the old–school rules of etiquette even after a long journey.


    After Lisa offered a perfect curtsy, Prisci greeted her warmly. “A long trip back from the border in this weather… you must be exhausted.”


    Lisa looked at Adide with pure devotion. “I was so desperate to get back to her that I honestly didn’t even feel the cold.”


    Prisci knew Lisa loved Adide like her own daughter. Thinking of that, she let out a sigh. “It’s good you’re back. You should talk some sense into Luna Skye. She’s your family, but as a mother and an elder, she’s been acting like a total fool.”


    Seeing Lisa’s confused look, the omega Susan chimed in, quickly recapping all the nonsense Skye had pulled.


    Lisa had heard about Melinda’s tragedy while at the border, but she had no idea that Howell and Skye had basically sacrificed their own daughter’s well–being for “pack interests.”


    Paisley, never one to let a fire go out, added fuel by detailing exactly how petty Skye had been toward Adide. By the time they finished, Lisa was fuming. She mmed her hand onto the coffee table, her hand twitching toward the hilt of her sword. She looked ready to storm the Silverlights and have it out with Skye right then and there.


    <b>2/2 </b>


    admin


    <strong>Olivia Harris</strong> is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.