Chapter 73 River Bonds

• Between reconstruction and recovery, a month had slipped by since Bobby defeated Samuel. The morning sun streamed through Bobby's bedroom window as she laced up her training boots, muscles already anticipating the rigorous session ahead. Onyx Moon's territory hummed with renewed purpose—warriors drilling in the courtyard, construction crews reinforcing the perimeter walls, and pack members going about their daily routines with cautious optimism.
• "Never again," Aurelius had declared during the first pack meeting after Samuel's defeat. "We will not be caught off guard a third time." His words carried the weight of hard-earned wisdom, and the pack had responded accordingly. Security measures tripled, patrol schedules intensified, and every member trained harder than ever before.
• Bobby emerged from the manor to find Gideon already warming up near the training grounds, his movements fluid and precise as he worked through combat forms. The sight of him sent warmth spreading through her chest—alive, whole, and hers. The nightmare of nearly losing him to Samuel's twisted ritual still haunted her dreams some nights, but moments like these reminded her that they had survived. They were stronger.