Caleb's POV

I was outside chopping firewood—a task I'd grown surprisingly fond of over the past weeks—when I heard the horse's hooves on the coastal road. Verity was inside, curled up by the window with a book she'd been reading for days, savoring each page like it might be her last.

The rider wore Shadowfang colors, and my stomach tightened as he dismounted and approached.

"Prince Caleb," he said, bowing quickly. "A letter. From Beta Kin."

I took the sealed parchment, noting the ...