Celina’s POV
THE world blurred into chaos the moment Lucien’s body hit the ground.
“Lucien!” My scream tore through the silence left in the wake of the Council’s declaration, the echo still hanging heavy in the night air. My legs moved before my mind caught up, carrying me across the bloodstained circle where Kael’s broken body had been dragged away.
The scent of iron and earth clogged my lungs. His blood—so much of it—streaked the soil, slicking my palms when I knelt beside him. His chest still rose and fell, shallow but there, and I clung to that rhythm like it was the only thing tethering me to sanity.
“Don’t you dare leave me,” I whispered, pressing my hands against the wounds that refused to stop bleeding. His skin was burning hot, wolf-heated, but his lips were cold when I brushe
