?Chapter 1050:


    I stared at the spectacle, words stumbling from my lips. “Isn’t this… rather reckless?”


    Makenna’s POV:


    Bryan’s brow furrowed slightly, a defiant smirk ying on his lips as he rubbed his knuckles. “Lingering here with them any longer is a fool’s errand. Time is of the essence. We must venture into the werewolf forest without dy.”


    yton’s kind features softened into a faint smile as he rested a gentle hand on my head, his voice soothing yetced with worry. “Makenna, the path ahead will only grow more treacherous. Stick close to us and don’t wander off—do you understand?”


    I gazed up at him, aforting warmth spreading through me. Even before crossing the threshold of the werewolf forest, challenges had already begun to pile up like storm clouds on the horizon. Deep down, I knew the journey ahead would test me far beyond what I had dared to imagine.


    With that realization, I lifted my chin, my resolve hardening like steel. “You needn’t fret over me. I can hold my own and won’t weigh you down.”


    No sooner had the words left my lips than Dominic flicked my forehead with a yful snap.


    “Ow! That stings!” I feigned indignation, shooting him a mock re. “What’s that for?”


    Dominic let out a soft chuckle, his fingers brushing my cheek with a tender touch, his tone dripping with fond amusement. “In my book, you’ll never be a burden. Talk down about yourself again, and I won’t go easy on you.”


    His teasing gaze locked with mine, sending a flutter through my chest, but I quickly steadied myself. This was no time to lose focus.


    “Understood,” I said with a nod, nudging them along. “Enough fooling around—let’s get moving!”


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    We shared a quick nce before pressing forward. The stillness around us was eerie, broken only by the crunch of brittle leaves beneath our boots. I clung to yton’s hand, but a nagging unease gnawed at my insides.


    The forest was too hushed—unnaturally so. It set my nerves on edge, as if unseen eyes were tracking our every step from the shadows. A growing sense of dread coiled tighter in my gut.


    I parted my lips to alert the three princes when a sharp whistle sliced through the silence.


    My heart seized, and instinctively, I let go of yton’s hand, darting aside. In that split second, a glinting arrow sliced through the air, grazing my cheek with a frigid gust.


    With a heavy thud, the arrow buried itself deep into a nearby tree, punching clean through the bark.


    I stared wide-eyed at the quivering shaft, my pulse hammering in my ears. Had it struck me, the oue would have been unthinkable. A shiver raced from my toes to my core.


    The three princes sprang into action. “Shield Makenna!” Bryan bellowed.


    With a swift motion, Amon summoned a group of elite guards to form a protective ring around me.


    I fought to steady my ragged breaths, my voice dropping low. “It’s an ambush. What’s our next move?”


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