Rogues poured in from the tree line like shadows brought to life-dozens of them, maybe more, spilling forward with terrifying speed. They''d appeared almost out of nowhere, slipping past the outermost sensors while everyone''s attention was fixed on the border.


    The distraction had worked.


    Silver Fang warriors met them head-on, the sh immediate and violent. Steel rang against ws. Wolves mmed into one another with bone-jarring force. Magic red bright and blinding as ward-touched weapons struck home.


    And then I saw her.


    Felicity stood just beyond the main line of rogues, untouched by the chaos around her.


    Her long blonde hair was loose, whipping wildly around her face in theshing wind. She wore no armor, no protection-just dark clothing that clung to her frame, utterly unbothered by the rain beginning to fall.


    Her presence was a void.


    Where the goddess''s energy burned warm and steady within me, Felicity''s power was cold, sharp, and hungry. It scraped against my senses like broken ss, sending a jolt of instinctive revulsion through my body.


    Then she looked up.


    Our eyes met across the battlefield.


    The world seemed to narrow to that single moment.


    Her lips curved into a slow, feral smile.


    Hatred rolled off her in waves so thick I could taste it. Not just hatred-recognition. Satisfaction. This was what she''d wanted all along.


    Me.


    I felt the goddess stir in response, power surging harder, faster, wrapping around my spine like a living thing. The wards around the packhouse pulsed in time with my heartbeat, reacting to the spike in energy.


    "No," I whispered, though I wasn''t sure who I was speaking to.


    Felicity''s smile widened.


    She threw her head back and let out a growl that cut through the noise of battle-low, vicious, and unmistakably inhuman.


    Then she shifted.


    Her body snapped and twisted with violent grace, bones reforming in a blur of motion. Where she stood moments before, a massive brown wolfnded heavily on the stone, fur bristling, eyes glowing an unnatural, icy blue.


    The storm answered her.


    Lightning cracked overhead, close enough that the thunder felt like a physical blow. Rain began to fall in earnest, icy needles driven sideways by the wind.


    The rogues surged forward with renewed frenzy.


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    "She''s here," I breathed behind me.


    "Yes," I said, my voice steady despite the fear wing at my ribs. "She is."


    The goddess''s presence red hot and bright, almost painful now, as if urging me to act. The pressure in my chest intensified, energy begging for release.


    This was it.


    This was the moment.


    I nted my feet and closed my eyes, drawing inward the way ric had taught me. I reached not for the storm, but for the space beneath it-the still core where power gathered and waited.


    The world hushed around me, the noise of battle fading to a distant roar.


    I felt the wards respond immediately, strengthening, thickening as my focus locked in. Magic flowed through me and into the stone beneath my feet, weaving tighter patterns of protection around the packhouse.


    The ground shuddered as Felicity mmed into the defensive line, her dark form a blur of motion and violence. Warriors went flying beneath the force of her charge, bodies skidding across wet stone.


    A scream tore free from my throat.


    Not fear.


    Defiance.


    I thrust my hands forward, releasing the power I''d been holding.


    The wards red blindingly bright.


    A shockwave rippled outward from the packhouse, mming into the rogues with concussive force. Several were thrown backward, crashing hard into one another. Even Felicity staggered, ws scrapin urrows into the stone as she fought to regain her footing.


    Her head snapped toward me.


    Our eyes locked again.


    This time, her snarl was pure rage.


    Good.


    Let her see me.


    Let her know I wasn''t running.


    Behind me, I gasped softly. I felt her presence at my back like an anchor, solid and real.


    "You can do this," she whispered.


    I didn''t look away from Felicity. "I have to."


    The storm raged harder, rain soaking through my clothes, wind tearing at my hair. Somewhere beyond the chaos, Nn was riding toward us at full speed, fighting his way home.


    I just had to hold.


    Just long enough.


    I squared my shoulders, drawing the goddess''s power around me like armor, and met Felicity''s burning gaze head


    - on.


    "This ends here," I murmured.


    The storm answered with thunder.


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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.