The silence after Gideon's retreat felt wrong.

I shifted back to human form, breathing hard. Around us, the courtyard was a disaster. Scorch marks where fires had burned. Blood on the stones. Wolves limping toward the medical station.

We'd won. Technically.

But it felt more like we'd survived something that should have killed us.

Darius stayed close, his presence steady despite the exhaustion I could feel through the bond. "Marcus?"

"Celeste has him. She'll do what she can." I looked ...