Chapter 26

Maeve’s POV

The evening air felt cool and pure as I crossed the castle grounds, the breeze carrying a faint scent of pine and damp earth. I’d just left Draven’s office, where I’d spent nearly the entire day poring over old journals and records. He’d been there too—at the far end of the room, issuing orders and speaking with Dorian, Mason, and Galen. Even though I wasn’t included in their discussions, I stayed. His mere presence had become a quiet comfort I wasn’t ready to question.

I smiled to myself at how absurd I must look—Luna of the Winter Howl Pack, reduced to a lovesick fool. Yet there was something grounding about him, even in his silence, even when he acted as if I didn’t exist.

I turned toward Seraphine’s spell room, hoping she was still awake. My fingers brushed the wolf pendant at my throat as I closed my eyes, focusing on the faint pulse at the back of my mind.

“Adie,” I whispered. A soft stirring answered me—distant, uncertain, half-asle