Chapter 162

The pack house had fallen quiet these last few days. Gilly’s sacrifice still lived on, and though the witches’ messenger had assured me that their coven was broken and the rogue attacks would cease, my instincts refused to settle. But there was no time to grieve anymore. Not fully. I sat at the edge of the table in the main hall with maps of our territory spread across the wood. On the surface also, we’re scribbled notes. My mind was not at rest. I knew I couldn’t undo the past, but I could fortify our future. The door creaked open and Zone came in. He stopped at my side with his sharp eyes narrowing as they flickered across the map. He leaned casually against the table, arms crossed, but I didn’t miss the tension in his stance. “You’re wearing yourself thin, Serena,” he said in a gruff yet careful tone. “You’ve barely slept.” I kept my eyes on the borderlines we’d marked earlier. “I can’t stop now. If Gilly’s sacrifice taught me anything, it’s that I can’t let my guard down.” Zone exh