Chapter 40

• "Get ready," Thorin's voice broke through the chaos, low and commanding. I could hear the urgency in his tone, the tension radiating from him like heat from a fire. His broad shoulders were tense, his body coiled in anticipation, ready for the first strike.
• The pack was scattered, moving swiftly and quietly through the trees. It wasn’t just the rogue pack we were preparing for—this was the first battle in what felt like a war. A war that had already begun before we even realized it.
• I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the familiar weight of fear and adrenaline crashing over me. But today was different. Today, I could feel something else stirring deep inside of me—something raw and powerful. The same thing that had been lurking beneath the surface for weeks, since the moment the Kings had first brought me into their world.