Chapter <b>15 </b>


    Atasha’s POV


    55 vouchers


    The air inside the tent was thick with smoke and sweat and the coppery scent of blood that clung to everything, my skin, my clothes, even my breath. Rain drummed against the canvas overhead in a steady rhythm.


    It was like a cruel luby that did nothing to soften the exhaustion wing its way through my bones. Thenterns, already dim, flickered with each gust of wind that slipped in through the gaps. I believe I have done this… seven times.


    Seven.


    Werewolves whose wounds should’ve killed them. Deep shes through muscle. Arrowsced with toxins meant to paralyze even an Alpha. Throats torn open. Chests split nearly to the bone. Things no healer would touch. Things no werewolf could recover from in hours, let alone minutes.


    But I had done it. I had mended them, every one of them. A part of me had that sense of pride, something warm slowly blossoming inside my chest, but there was something else that I failed to say… something that wasn’t right.


    My hands were steady, but my vision blurred at the edges, like ink bleeding into parchment. The warmth that usually surged from my palms when I healed felt weaker, duller. It still worked, I knew it did. I’d just sealed thest of the lieutenant’s wounds, smoothed his skin over like nothing had ever touched him. But as I sat back on my heels and gestured for Rio to carry the man away before he woke, my fingers wouldn’t uncurl.


    “Take him,” I whispered.


    Rio stepped in without hesitation, lifting the soldier’s weight as if it meant nothing. He gave me a sharp, respectful nod as he turned toward the tent p. Thentern light caught on the edge of his armor, and for a moment, I could have sworn it looked like he was glowing.


    I started to rise.


    That was my mistake.


    The world tilted.


    My breath caught as a cold rush swept over me, like falling face–first into a frozen river. My knees buckled before I could catch myself, and then… Cassian’s arms were around me.


    He caught me like he’d been expecting it. I didn’t even know he was standing that close to me. Did he notice it? The exhaustion of my ability? I immediately stilled. I only healed seven


    :


    werewolves, and he had thousands of them. Seven is nothing.


    <b>81 </b>


    55 vouchers


    “You should’ve said something,” he muttered, his voice sharp against my ears. He sounded annoyed. No. I knew he was annoyed.


    “I’m sorry, but… I’m fine,” I whispered.


    His grip didn’t loosen. “You’re shaking.”


    “No, I’m not.”


    “Yes, you are.”


    I hated how close he was, how his warmth seeped through my damp cloak, grounding me in a way I didn’t want to admit I needed. His scent, ash, cold steel, and something darker, wrapped around me like a second skin, threatening to pull me under. I tried to stand again, but the tent seemed to sway with me.


    From across the room, Mendez stepped forward, concerned in his eyes. “She’s pale.”


    “I said I’m fine,” I repeated, forcing my voice to steady. “I can- I can heal more. You can ask Rio to bring in the next patient.”


    Cassian studied me in silence. His hand slid beneath my elbow, steadying me as he helped me into a nearby chair. I sank into it, grateful for the distance it created, even if it was only a few


    inches.


    “She’s healed seven men tonight,” Mendez said, ncing at the p where Rio had just disappeared. “Seven critical wounds. The kind that even wolves with Alpha blood wouldn’t survive.”


    Cassian didn’t look at him. His gaze was still on me and somehow that scared me. Does he think seven is too little? What if he suddenly decide, my ability isn’t useful after all?


    “Are theybat–ready?” he asked.


    Mendez nodded. “More than ready. Whatever she did… it worked. Their vitals are stable, their strength returning quicker than I’ve ever seen. If we give them a few more hours… no perhaps even thirty minutes, they’ll be able to fight again.”


    Cassian grunted, folding his arms. “Good. We’ll need them.”


    “Still…” Mendez’s voice dropped, “We’re at a disadvantage. It’s dark, it’s pouring, and the terrain favors the Demon Fangs. They know this forest better than we do. The mud slows our men down, the roots trip them up. And their strikes are precise, meant to maim, not kill.”


    Cassian’s eyes narrowed. “Because they want to draw it out. Drain morale. And they’re not just


    fighting to defend anymore. They’re hunting.”


    I felt a shiver crawl up my spine at that word–hunting.


    Yes. That’s exactly what it was. All the wolves who had taken fatal hits tonight weren’t just anyone. They were lieutenants. High–ranking and very skilled. It wasn’t random. It felt like someone wanted to prove a point, show the entire northernmand that even the strongest weren’t safe. That no title, no bloodline, could shield you from what wasing.


    “I can keep going,” I said quietly, gripping the edge of the chair like it could anchor me. “Just give me a minute.”


    Cassian’s gaze snapped back to mine. “No. You’ve done enough.”


    “But-”


    “Atasha.” My name left his mouth with a warning wrapped around it. Not loud. But sharp enough to cut. “Rest.”


    I nodded, biting back any argument. I needed to show him and show myself that I could be useful. In the end, I only managed to heal seven werewolves.


    It felt underwhelming, almost shameful. But then again, this was the first time I had ever pushed myself to use that ability. The first time I had tried to do something that mattered. Maybe disappointment was inevitable… but at least I had tried.


    “Including Rio,” Mendez said, stepping forward, “We have seven armored lieutenants back on their feet.” He nced at Rio, who had just stepped inside, soaked from the rain but alert as ever. “We’ve got a three–hour window before the sun rises. If we move before then, we’ll have the terrain and visibility working for us–not against us.”


    Cassian said nothing. He just clenched his jaw and gave a slight nod. Even silent, he carriedmand like a second skin. I lowered my gaze, avoiding his steel–gray eyes. The air between us shifted again. “I–I believe I can help you,” I blurted, the words escaping before my mind could catch up.


    Damn it.


    I cursed myself internally. Why did my mouth always betray me when I needed it to stay


    shut?


    Everyone’s attention turned towards me. What the heck was I doing?


    “Speak<i>,” </i>Cassian ordered.


    And just like that, I obeyed. I lifted my head, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “I–I know the terrain,” I said, the words rough at first. “Probably better than anyone else.” I hadn’t meant to


    …


    <b>81 </b>


    E55 vouchers


    stutter. It wasn’t fear. He wasn’t going to strangle me. It was… It was the way I spoke aloud.


    Offering something without being dismissed, settled heavily on my chest.


    Since I failed to awaken, no one had ever asked me to speak. This moment, however small, was the first.


    However, before I could finish my words, a voice from outside the tent announced. “My lord, Luna Genevieve and Lady Celeste are here to see you.”


    AD