AMARI'S POV)
The laughter faded slowly, leaving behind a fragile silence that seemed to hold all our unspoken fears. I watched Rudina's smile waver at the edges, and I knew she was thinking the same things I was—Talon's imminent arrival, the challenge looming over us like a storm cloud, and the impossible situation with Alpha Kaelen.
"We should eat," Rudina said again, her voice more determined this time. "You can't fight on an empty stomach, and you've barely touched food in days."
She wasn't wrong. The thought of food made my stomach turn, but I knew she needed to see me try. For her sake, if not my own.
"Fine," I conceded, following her toward the small kitchen area of our shared quarters. The space was modest compared to the grandeur of the rest of the pack house, but it was ours—a tiny sanctuary in a world that felt increasingly hostile.
