Chapter 46. Betrayal at Midnight

The Vale Territory was asleep, cloaked in a deceptive blanket of peace. Kael’s defectors had secured the perimeter, the scent of fear replaced by the grim aroma of healing herbs and woodsmoke. Neriah and Caius were in the small, sheltered grove where they had cemented their bond, resting not out of weariness, but out of necessity.

Neriah sat wrapped in a thick wool blanket, watching the low, steady flames of a small, contained fire. She felt the difference now—the constant, consuming hunger of the Ashen Flame was gone, replaced by a quiet, protective warmth centered in her chest. It was stable, dormant, and entirely hers.

“The silence is a trap,” Neriah whispered, leaning into Caius, who sat behind her, his arms wrapped securely around her waist.

“It is a breath,” Caius corrected, his voice deep and rumbling against her ear. “Kalen is a strategist, but Thalia is a politician. They won’t risk a Legion again. They’ll wait for us to move, or for the pack to crumble fr