The battle was chaos. Wolves clashed with shadow-beasts, snow and blood painting the ground. Aradia's fire roared, her flames splitting the sky, but the shadow fed on her magic, twisting it, hungering for more.
Kael tore through enemies, his massive wolf unstoppable, but when the tide began to turn, betrayal struck.
From within the pack, Garron lunged—not at the enemy, but at her. His claws slashed, aiming for Aradia's throat.
"You cursed us!" he roared. "You brought the shadow here!"
Kael shifted mid-stride, his body intercepting the blow. Claws tore across his chest, blood spilling hot, but he did not falter. He struck Garron down with a single, brutal swipe, his wolf snarling.
"Traitor," Kael growled, his voice shaking with rage.
The pack froze, horror rippling through them. Betrayal within was worse than any shadow. And it had nearly killed their Queen.
Aradia fell to her knees beside Kael, her hands trembling as she tried to heal his wounds with fire. Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I can't lose you. Not again."
His green eyes locked onto hers, fierce even through pain. "You won't."