Nn POV


    Blood slicked the ground beneath my boots.


    I barely registered it as I tore through thest line of rogues between me and the packhouse. My lungs burned, every breath sharp with smoke and iron, but adrenaline kept me moving long past the point where my body should have failed.


    Ellie.


    The thought was a knife in my chest.


    Her scream-that scream-still rang in my ears, even over the chaos of battle. I''d felt it through the bond like a lightning strike, her terror and pain crashing into me so violently it had nearly dropped me to my knees.


    Even after ric had taken over on the front lines, it had taken a concerted effort for me to make it this far. The packhouse was in view now, but still out of reach.


    The forces here were concentrated. Dozens of rogues were in the process of overpowering the warriors I had left behind to guard the packhouse.


    The small group that hade with me this far broke formation to engage now. I continued forward. The front door was open, broken off of the frame.


    This sight of it sent a fresh wave of anger and panic through me.


    They''d breached the packhouse already. There was no telling what kind of chaos and carnage might be happening inside.


    Instinctively, I reached for the bond with Ellie. If she were hurt badly, I would have felt it, right?


    The bond pulsed steadily. Ellie was close and safe, at least for the moment.


    The relief was short-lived.


    Before I could reach the door, I was intercepted. A wolf mmed into my side, sending me skidding across the


    ground.


    My guard had dropped; I''d allowed myself to be distracted by the bond.


    A rookie mistake, damn it.


    Pain shot through my side like a red-hot de. My still-healing injuries red, and I barely suppressed a groan of pain.


    There was no time to process it. One of my warriors jumped between the attacking wolf and me as I forced myself to my feet.


    I didn''t pause to assess, just bolted into motion again.


    I vaulted a fallen body-didn''t look to see whose-and rushed through the packhouse doorway.


    The interior was devastation.


    Stone walls scorched ck. Shattered banisters. Blood streaked across the floor in dark smears where bodies


    had been dragged or thrown. Silver Fang warriors were scattered through the lower level, fighting room to room, their coordination strained but holding.


    My eyes went straight to the staircase.


    The wards there were still glowing-damaged, but intact.


    Relief punched through me so hard my vision blurred.


    "They''re alive," I breathed.


    Then a snarl ripped through the air.


    I spun just as Felicity lunged from the shadows.


    She was half-shifted, her body twisted between forms in a way that made my stomach turn.


    Blood matted her hair and soaked into her clothes, one arm hanging at an unnatural angle-but the injury hadn''t slowed her.


    If anything, it had made her worse.


    Her eyes locked on me, wild and burning.


    "Nn," she hissed, voice fractured with rage and triumph. “You came."


    She charged.


    I barely got my de up in time.


    The impact jarred my arms to the shoulder as she mmed into me, ws scraping sparks off steel. She fought like an animal backed into a corner-no strategy, no restraint, just raw violence fueled by obsession.


    I gave ground inch by inch, teeth clenched as she drove me back toward the center of the hall.


    "You should have stayed away," I growled, shoving her off bnce and shing across her side.


    Sheughed.


    A broken, unhinged sound.


    "This is my home," she spat, eyes flicking toward the stairs. "She doesn''t belong here. She never did. And neither do those-"


    My vision went white for a moment. I roared and went on the offensive.


    Steel met w, then flesh. She screamed as my de bit deep, but instead of retreating she surged forward, taking the wound just to get closer. Her ws raked across my chest, tearing through armor and skin.


    Pain red white-hot.


    I ignored it.


    Every instinct screamed at me to finish her, to end this now-but I couldn''t lose focus. Not with her unpredictability. Not with Ellie above us, vulnerable no matter how strong her wards were.


    "You won''t touch her," I said, voice shaking with fury. "You''re done."


    Her grin was feral.


    "You think this ends with me?” she snarled. “Look around you."


    I did just long enough to see the truth of it.


    The rogues were pushing in from multiple entry points now, pouring into the


    packhouse in numbers that Silver Fang hadn''t been prepared for. Our warriors were


    skilled, disciplined-but they were tired.


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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.