Chapter 30

• Amara sat in the quiet corner of the estate gardens, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of gold and crimson. The peaceful beauty of the scene was a sharp contrast to the storm raging inside her. Tomorrow was the duel. The thought of it churned her stomach, a toxic mixture of dread, guilt, and anger that she couldn’t shake.
• Her mind replayed the events leading up to this moment like a broken record. Lucy’s schemes, Joshua’s manipulations, and the endless chaos that seemed to follow her at every turn. No matter how hard she tried to fight back, it felt like she was dragging Xander and the packs into a war they hadn’t asked for. And now, Xander was preparing to risk his life in a duel because of Joshua’s vendetta—a vendetta that stemmed from her.
• “This is my fault,” she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible.