Chapter Ten – The Battle Within and Without
The camp was alive with restless energy. Warriors sharpened blades, scouts patrolled the perimeter, and the scent of smoke mingled with anticipation.
Selene paced near the heart of the Thorn stronghold, the weight of what was to come pressing on her chest. Her mind was a tempest — memories of rejection, fear of the impending war, and the strange new bond she shared with Kaien and Kairo swirling in an endless storm.
Kaien approached silently, his gaze intense but patient. "You're stronger than you know, Selene. But the battle isn't just outside these walls — it's inside you too."
She met his eyes, searching for certainty. "How do I fight what's inside?"
Kairo stepped forward, voice steady. "By embracing it. Your wolf, your pain, your power. All of it makes you whole."
Selene closed her eyes, breathing deeply. She could feel the pulse of the bond — twin flames intertwined, steady and fierce.
Outside, the first rumble of war drums echoed through the valley.
The time had come.
With Kaien and Kairo by her side, Selene was no longer the broken she-wolf who had been cast aside.
She was a force to be reckoned with.
And the battle — both within and without — had only just begun.