Ellie POV


    The courtyard smelled like warm stone and grass.


    Sunlight filtered through the high branches overhead, dappling the gstones in soft gold. I sat cross-legged on a thick nket, August bnced between my knees whilen crawled determinedly toward a wooden stacking toy Rae had ced just out of reach.


    "Careful," Rae murmured,ughing softly asn tipped forward, caught himself, and then immediately tried again.


    I smiled, though the expression felt a little fragile.


    This was what normal was supposed to look like.


    No rms. No raised voices. No guards pacing openly along the walls. Just fresh air,ughter, and two boys discovering the world one clumsy movement at a time.


    I pped quietly whenn finally reached the toy, earning a triumphant squeal. August responded by attempting to stand, gripping my sleeve with fierce determination.


    "Easy, brave boy," I whispered, steadying him.


    They were so big. At least it seemed that way right now. My tiny boys were getting stronger every day, bing more independent.


    That''s what they''re supposed to do, of course. Grow strong and learn. But part of my heart wanted them to stay little forever. If I thought about it too hard, I wanted to cry.


    Rae watched us with a fond, watchful expression. She''d been hovering more than usual, though she tried to disguise it as casual attentiveness. Nn had asked her to stay close-to all of us-and while she''d agreed without hesitation, I could tell she felt the weight of that responsibility.


    I did too.


    Havi her here helped. Rae was afort that I didn''t know I needed. I should thank Nn again for bringing her here, for trusting her to keep our boys safe. For realizing that I needed my friends close, even when I didn''t fully see it myself.


    I kept telling myself that if I acted calm, if I kept things ordinary, the boys would feel


    it. That whatever storm gathered beyond the borders of Silver Fang would stay there, held at bay by walls, wards, and will.


    But the unease had been with me since morning.


    It wasn''t sharp. Not panic. More like a low hum beneath my skin, a wrongness that didn''t have a shape yet. I tried to ignore it, focusing instead on August''s delightedugh when Rae made a ridiculous face at him.


    Then the air shifted.


    Just slightly. Enough to send a cold chill through me and make the scent of the foliage feel sharp and abrasive in


    my nose.


    My breath caught.


    I knew what wasing.


    +25 Bonus


    The warmth in my chest-the goddess''s presence-red without warning, not like a shield sliding into ce but like a sudden, instinctive recoil. Fear answered faster than thought.


    "No," I whispered, barely audible even to myself.


    The vision mmed into me.


    Blood.


    Thick and dark, streaked across white stone.


    Fangs-long, wet, bared in a snarl.


    Golden-brown fur, matted and stiff with gore.


    Eyes.


    Wild. Unhinged. Burning with something that wasn''t instinct or even sanity.


    Felicity.


    I gasped, the sound sharp enough that August startled, beginning to fuss. My hands trembled as I pulled him closer, my heart pounding so hard it hurt.


    The courtyard fell away.


    I saw her moving-fast, feral-through shadow and smoke. I couldn''t see where.


    Couldn''t see when. Only the certainty of violence, of intent.


    And beneath it all, a pulse of hunger that made my stomach twist.


    "Ellie?" Rae''s voice cut through the haze, urgent now. "Ellie, look at me."


    I blinked, reality snapping back into ce. The courtyard reformed around me,


    bright and unchanged. Too unchanged.


    For a moment, this peace felt like a dream.


    Rae was kneeling in front of me, hands already steadying my shoulders. Her eyes


    flicked briefly to the boys, then back to my face.


    "What did you see?” she asked softly.


    My throat worked. "Felicity."


    Rae stilled.


    "Blood," I continued, forcing the words out. "Her teeth. Her wolf. She was... out of control."


    August whimpered, sensing my distress. I pressed my forehead to his, breathing him in, grounding myself in the warmth of his small body.


    In the fact that he was safe and in my arms.


    Rae''s jaw tightened, but her voice remained calm. “Did you see the boys?"


    I shook my head quickly. "No. I don''t think-" My breath hitched. "I don''t think it was here. Or now. But it''sing."


    Bonus


    Rae exhaled slowly, then shifted closer, one arm wrapping protectively around both me and August, the other reaching forn, who had toddled over to see what themotion was about.


    I reached my free hand forn and pulled him closer, needing feel them both close. Just to know that they were safe and with me as my heart hammered against my ribs with growing panic.


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    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.