The alpine cabin had become a sanctuary of sorts—repaired, reinforced, warded anew with runes Victor etched into the doorframe and windowsills. The Shadow Council’s assault had left scars: bullet holes patched with fresh wood, bloodstains scrubbed from floorboards, a lingering scent of wolfsbane that no amount of sage could fully erase. But the eight men who shared the space with Emily had changed more than the cabin ever could.
They no longer circled her like rival predators. The jealousy still simmered—quick flashes in golden eyes, low growls when one lingered too long—but it had begun to transform into something sharper: respect, protectiveness, a shared purpose. They trained together at dawn, sparred at dusk, and in the quiet hours between, Emily sought them out one by one.
She start
