CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY – PICKING UP THE PIECES

For the first time in days, Cassie felt a tiny spark of something other than grief. It wasn't hope, not quite yet, but maybe the beginnings of resilience. She sat up slowly, wiping her eyes. "Okay," she said, her voice hoarse. "One day at a time." Alissa smiled encouragingly. "That's it. Now, how about we get you cleaned up and get some real food in you?" As Cassie allowed Alissa to help her to the bathroom, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She barely recognized the gaunt, hollow-eyed woman staring back at her. But beneath the grief and exhaustion, she saw something else – a flicker of the strength that had brought her this far. The strength that had allowed her to survive foster care, to adapt to life as a wyld wolf, to lead a dangerous mission against impossible odds. Cassie took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. She didn't know what the future held, or how she would navigate this new landscape of grief and loss. But she knew one thing for certain – she wasn't