Nn POV


    Silver Fang had not slept in days.


    Neither had I.


    Patrols moved in constant rotation along the borders, their presence so steady it became part of thendscape-boots crunching gravel at all hours, low voices murmuring reports, the hum of wards reinforcing themselves again and again. No oneined. No one questioned it.


    I was there for a good portion of the day, visiting different border checkpoints to talk with the men on the ground and take part in patrols myself when necessary.


    I needed the men to know that they weren''t in this alone. They weren''t doing busy work. We had to be on alert, we had to stay vignt, because this wasn''t a holding pattern. It wasn''t a precaution.


    We were waiting.


    Not for orders. Not for confirmation.


    For violence.


    I felt it in my wolf, restless beneath my skin, pacing endlessly as if thend itself


    were holding its breath. The air tasted different-sharp, electric. The kind of


    re that built before storms broke over mountains and left nothing unchanged


    ake.


    Eine tent it too. I could see it in her eyes, even when she tried to hide it.


    ric had be a near-constant presence in the packhouse. He didn''t interfere, didn''t offer unsolicitedmands, but he watched-always watching. Checking on Ellie with a quiet intensity that mirrored my own unease.


    He lingered near the nursery more than once, his gaze lingering on August andn with awe and something like fear.


    I understood it.


    They were leverage the world would not hesitate to use against us. And they were far too precious for us to allow them to be reduced to that.


    Late one evening, after the packhouse had settled into a restless quiet, ric requested a word with me. No guards. No advisors. Just the two of us.


    We met in my study.


    I hadn''t spent much time with ric since Ellie returned to Silver Fang, not alone at least.


    When I did see him, Cassian was normally present at least. That eased some of the tension and awkward energy between us. Now, we were the only two present.


    The fire burned low, casting long shadows across the walls. Maps still cluttered the table, inked with routes and contingency ns I knew by heart now. I didn''t bother clearing them away.


    ric stood near the window, hands sped behind his back, staring out into the dark like he expected the storm to announce itself any second.


    “I can feel it,” I said finally, breaking the silence. "Whatever''sing-it''s close.”


    He nodded once. "So can I."


    I leaned back against the edge of the desk, arms folded. "Ellie''s visions have intensified. Shorter. Sharper. Less... symbolic. She has nightmares every night now." I hesitated. "That worries me."


    ric turned then, his gaze settling on me fully. "You''re afraid of what they might cost her."


    "Yes," I said without hesitation. "And the boys."


    The admission tasted bitter, but there was no point pretending otherwise. "I''ve faced war. Rebellion. Assassination attempts. I know how to n for those. But this -"I gestured vaguely. "This feels different. Like we''re being herded toward something inevitable."


    ric studied me for a long moment. "Prophecy has a way of making inevitability feel louder than it is."


    "Does that mean it''s wrong?" I asked.


    "No," he replied calmly. "It means it''s iplete."


    I exhaled slowly. When my voice came, it was strained with the emotion that I


    couldn''t quite hold back. "Ellie''s afraid she''s expendable."


    That earned his full attention. ric''s jaw tightened, just slightly.


    "She would never say that out loud,” I continued. "But I see it. Every time she talks about protection like it''s a holding action. Like she''s bracing for an ending she doesn''t think she''ll survive."


    Silence stretched between us.


    "She has always carried the world too quietly," ric said atst. "Even as a child."


    "I try to reassure her. I would never allow her to be hurt, to be used as some kind of shield without her own protection. But the way she looks at me... there''s this sadness, this resignation in her eyes."


    “She is resigned. Resigned to y her role, regardless of how this will end."


    ric''s words were a p in the face. I lost my breath as I heard the calm, soft way he said them. Like it was a natural fact he had to break to me and not a devastating revtion.


    I looked up sharply. "You knew?"


    His gaze didn''t waver. "I knew she would bear more than most. I didn''t know how, or when. Only that she would."


    Support


    +2


    Share


    Cede is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a ir for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cede''s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.