Desmond POV:
I know she is the only she-wolf alive.
That fact alone should be enough to keep us thinking clearly, strategically — not behaving like half-starved mutts fighting over scraps.
But apparently, logic has abandoned this house.
Our unity — forged through war, famine, rogue uprisings, and the slow death of our species — is beginning to crack because of one small, stubborn, infuriating creature.
Astrid.
She has already proven herself tacky, untrustworthy, and above all — a thief. The memory still irritates me. The planted pouch of coins. The accusation thrown at me in front of my own people. Me — an Alpha King — accused of stealing like a common scavenger.
The humiliation alone should have earned her punishment.
The only reason she still breathes is because she is necessary.
Nobody lies to me and lives.
Nobody tricks me and walks away.
Except her.
Because extinction is a stronger enemy than pride.
