Mara.
Martha and I had reached out to dozens of women. I hadn’t expected much—but Mooncrest surprised me. Beneath the surface, there were entire networks of female warriors, mostly academy dropouts, living in the shadows but burning with fire. And they all knew Martha. Not just knew—loved her.
Watching her among them was like seeing her in another life. She was vibrant, relaxed, genuinely happy. She laughed without restraint. She hugged easily. She belonged.
And for a moment, I envied her.
It was strange. I’d never really had a problem with Martha—until I found out she’d been the one pulling strings behind the scenes. She was the reason Alpha Vander had forced Lucian and me into this marriage.
But… as bitter as that truth was, it had brought unexpected peace. Lucian and I had found so
