Chapter 36 Preparation

• THE DISCOVERY, which should have been a victory, felt like a noose tightening around their necks. Time, their most precious commodity, was now a brutal, ticking clock.
• Waldemar, despite his lingering fear, rallied with the grim determination of an Alpha facing insurmountable odds. His withdrawal from Selene lessened, replaced by an intense, almost desperate focus on the ritual. He still maintained a careful physical distance, the curse a constant, chilling reminder, but his mind was fully engaged. He interrogated Selene about every passage, every nuance she felt from the ancient texts, his questions sharp and unyielding.
• “The passage about 'the serpent's heart' and 'the soul of the wolf surrendered',” Waldemar mused, pacing the temple floor, his eyes scanning the faded murals. “What does it truly mean for my surrender, Selene? What does a wolf's soul surrender to a witch's desire entail, without… without being consumed?” His voice was low, laced with a raw vulnerability that few in his pack would ever witness. “Because I won't lie to myself,” he added quietly, “I am afraid of being lost in you.”