Ellie POV


    I shifted without warning.


    One heartbeat she was beside me-human, breathing hard, eyes locked on the chaos beyond the wards-and the next her body folded inward, bones cracking and reforming in a blur of motion that made my stomach lurch.


    A sleek wolf hit the stone in front of me, dark brown fur already slick with rain, muscles coiled tight with purpose. She didn''t hesitate. Not even for a second.


    Sheunched herself forward.


    “I-no!” I shouted, my voice ripped away by the wind.


    She was already gone, a streak of dark motion surging past the wards the instant a gap opened, joining the Silver Fang warriors as if she''d been born for this exact moment.


    Pride and terror mmed into me at the same time.


    She had promised me. And she was keeping it.


    I took a step forward on instinct, my body screaming to follow her, to chase her into


    the fight-but I stopped short, breath catching painfully in my chest.


    I couldn''t.


    No wolf. No ws. No teeth.


    Just power I barely understood and a responsibility I couldn''t abandon.


    The wards pulsed again, reacting to the chaos outside, to Felicity''s presence


    pressing against them like a de testing armor. I could feel the strain now, the way


    the magic hummed too loud, too fast. dangerously thin.


    I swore under my breath and turned away from the courtyard.


    Running felt wrong-cowardly-but ric''s words rang loud and clear in my mind.


    Your role is not to fight the storm. It is to defend your home.


    So I ran toward what I could protect.


    eads stretching


    Inside, the packhouse was a study in controlled panic. Nobatants had already been moved deeper into the inner keep, corridors cleared, doors sealed. The silent alert had done its job-but now the silence was breaking under the weight of impact, shouts echoing faintly through stone.


    The goddess''s presence surged as I moved, responding to urgency, to fear. I guided it the way ric had drilled into me-slow breath, sharp focus, intention before release.


    The saferoom.


    My feet carried me there without conscious thought, bare soles pping against cold stone. The corridor lights flickered as I approached, wards ring brighter in recognition of me.


    I pressed my palm t against the door.


    +25 Bonus


    It thrummed under my touch,yers of magic already woven deep into its frame-but not enough. Not for this.


    "Okay," I whispered. "Okay, I''ve got you."


    I closed my eyes and reached inward.


    Not outward toward the storm. Not toward Felicity''s cold, gnawing presence. I went down-to the still ce beneath my fear, beneath the chaos. The ce where the goddess''s power settled when I didn''t fight it.


    I felt the warmth there, the same feeling that had settled into me the first time my mother came to me through


    this connection.


    I felt tears spring to my eyes immediately.


    This was the aid I needed now. To help me protect my family, my children, I needed the strength of my mother. And she was there, deep within the magic that coursed through me. I could feel her, almost hear her voice in my mind.


    I pictured the room beyond the door. August. Ian. Rae. Warmth. Safety. Stone that would not break.


    Then I pushed.


    Magic poured through me in a steady, deliberate stream, not the wild surge I''d unleashed in the courtyard but something denser, more precise. It flowed into the door, the walls, the seams between stone blocks, reinforcing every weakness I could sense.


    The wards brightened visibly, lines of pale gold threading through the darker magic already in ce.


    My knees trembled as the effort took its toll.


    Istaggered back a step just as the door slid open.


    Rae stood there, eyes wide, hair pulled half loose as if she''d risen in a hurry. August was on her hip, one chubby hand tangled in her shirt. Ian''s cries echoed from inside the room.


    “Ellie?” Rae said. "What''s going on?"


    Her voice cut through me sharper than any de.


    “We''re under attack,” I said bluntly. There was no point in softening it. "Rogues. Felicity is here."


    Rae''s jaw tightened instantly. "The boys-"


    "They''re safe," I said, forcing certainty into my tone even as fear wed at me. "They will be. I just strengthened the wards. This room is the most secure ce in the packhouse right now.


    Her eyes flicked past me, toward the corridor, where another distant crash reverberated through the stone. She shifted her weight instinctively, protective, ready,


    "I can help," she said. "I won''t just sit-"


    "You will," I cut in, more sharply than I intended. I softened immediately, reaching out


    to grip her forearm. Please. Rae. I need you here. With them."


    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.