Anica's group stumbled into the camp under the faint light of dawn, their bodies battered and their breaths labored. The shadow beast's roar still echoed in their minds, a haunting reminder of how narrowly they had escaped its crushing blows. The pack quickly surrounded them, anxious whispers spreading like wildfire. Cassian pushed through the crowd, his face tight with worry. "What happened?"

Anica steadied themself, their voice sharp but trembling. "The territory is protected by ancient wards-magic we've never encountered. Only someone bound to the Pact can enter."

The camp fell into stunned silence. Aurora stepped forward, her silver hair catching the first rays of sunlight. "Then it has to be me."

"No," Cassian said immediately, his voice like steel. "We'll find another way."

"There is no other way!" Aurora snapped, her voice shaking with determination. "The Pact chose me for this. It recognizes me."

Selene emerged from the shadows of the tent, her gaze unreadable. "She's right. The Lycan King won't expect her to walk willingly into his trap. But he'll be waiting. If you do this, you'll need to be faster and stronger than you've ever been." Cassian's hands clenched into fists. "You're asking her to walk into certain death."noveldrama

Selene tilted her head, her tone calm and infuriatingly clinical. "I'm asking her to do what only she can do. Or would you prefer to wait until the Lycan King's forces overwhelm us?"

Aurora placed a hand on Cassian's arm, her touch soft but resolute. "I have to try. I won't let our child-or our pack-be a pawn in his game."

Cassian's golden eyes searched hers, torn between his fear and his respect for her resolve. "If you go, I'm going with you."

Aurora's lips curved into a faint, bittersweet smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

As the group approached the edge of the forbidden territory, the air grew heavier, charged with an unseen force that seemed to hum with ancient power. The forest around them grew darker, the trees gnarled and twisted as if recoiling from the land beyond. Anica gestured to the shimmering barrier of light ahead. It rippled like a mirage, faint glyphs glowing across its surface. "That's the threshold."

Cassian unsheathed his blade, his jaw tightening. "If anything happens-"

Aurora cut him off with a soft shake of her head. "I'll be fine. The Pact will guide me."

She stepped forward, the air around her growing warm as the wards began to glow brighter. For a moment, the glyphs pulsed threateningly, as though testing her resolve. Then, as she held her ground, they began to part, creating a path that shimmered like liquid gold. Cassian's breath caught. "It worked."

Aurora turned back to him, her glowing eyes full of determination. "Because it knows I'm its protector."