Darrian’s POV
The scent of blood still lingered in the air, clinging to the earth and curling into the corners of our rebuilt halls. War was a cruel thing. Even when you won, you were still surrounded by what it cost.
I stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking Bloodmoon, the breeze tugging at my shirt and stirring the memories I wasn’t yet ready to face. Below me, the remnants of battle were being cleared. Ashes carried the names of fallen warriors, now returned to the ground they fought for.
And yet, my mind wasn’t on the dead.
It was on her.
Heather.
She had returned from the Veils changed—stronger, more luminous than ever. And gods help me, it scared me how much I needed her. Not just as my Luna, not even as the Alpha who’d saved us both—but as the only light left after so much
