Chapter

85

The camp was unnervingly quiet in the hours following the retreat. Wolves moved about with subdued urgency, their eyes downcast as they tended to the wounded and reinforced the defenses. The once-tight unity that defined the pack seemed to falter, a sense of unease

creeping into the air like an unseen specter.

Aurora sat at Cassian's bedside, her hands folded tightly in her lap. The healers had patched his wounds, but his recovery would take time. He stirred, his lashes fluttering as his eyes opened to find her watching him.

"You look worse than I feel," he murmured, his voice weak but tinged with a faint smile.

Aurora exhaled sharply, her relief momentarily overshadowing her worry. "You scared me."

"I'll be fine," Cassian said, though his wince betrayed his words. "What about the pack? The others?"

"They're alive," Aurora said quietly. "But they're afraid, Cassian. We all are."

Cassian's gaze hardened. "Then we have to show them there's still hope. That we can win this."

Later that day, Aurora joined Nathan and Anica near the central fire. The flames flickered weakly, mirroring the strained morale of the camp.

"We lost too much ground," Nathan said, his tone grim. "And the Lycan King knows it. He'll strike again before we have a chance to recover."

"We can't keep fighting like this," Anica added. "The Pact is breaking. The balance is slipping."

Aurora's hands clenched at her sides. "Then we need to find a way to fix it."

"It's not that simple," Anica said, their golden eyes narrowing. "The Pact isn't something you can just repair. It's connected to the natural order to life itself. And every time you draw on its power, you're pulling from something greater than yourself." Aurora's chest tightened as the weight of their words sank in. "Then what am I supposed to do? Just let it break?"

"No," Anica said firmly. "But you need to understand the cost. If you keep pushing the way you did today, the Pact will start drawing from those closest to you."

Aurora froze, her breath catching. "What do you mean?"

"The Pact is a bond," Anica explained. "When it's strained, it pulls strength from the connections you value most. Your pack. Your mate. Your family."noveldrama

The words hit Aurora like a blow, her mind racing as she thought of Cassian, of the wolves who had fallen during the battle, of her mother. "How do I stop it?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Anica's expression softened, though their tone remained serious. "You need to stabilize the bond. Focus it. Otherwise, it will spiral out of control."

As night fell, the camp gathered for a somber meeting near the central fire. Nathan addressed the pack, his voice steady despite the unease visible in his eyes.

"We've faced setbacks," he began, his gaze sweeping over the gathered wolves. "But we're still standing. The Lycan King wants us to believe we've already lost, but he's wrong. We're not done fighting."

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