(Annaliz)
The air was still thick with tension, the remnants of the battle clinging to the fields like smoke. Bodies lay scattered, some warriors of our pack, others rogues. I had lost count of how many battles we had fought together, my mate Owen and I, but this felt different. This was the first time I had felt so vulnerable, my body so weak in comparison to my spirit.
As the dust began to settle, a gnawing pain surged through the side of my abdomen. I pressed a trembling hand against the makeshift bandage, now soaked through with my blood. My heart pounded as I glanced over at Owen, his strong frame moving through the chaos, ensuring our people were healing, honoring our fallen, and driving the rogues away. All I wanted to do was help, to be by his side, as I had always been, but now
