Chapter 167. Into the Fire

Xerina’s POV

The sound of my boots echoed down the stone corridor as I left the war room, the weight of our plans heavy on my shoulders. My pulse pounded in my ears, anger simmering just below the surface. Rasmus… the man who was supposed to stand beside me, my mate, was out there tangled in Valeria’s web. But I couldn’t let that distract me. I couldn’t afford to hesitate.

Not now. Not when we were this close to war.

Luca’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts as he caught up to me. “You’re really going through with this, aren’t you?” His eyes, so much like our mother’s, were full of doubt, but also something sharper—fear. “You’re risking everything, Xerina. Rasmus, the pack, hell, even your own life. You sure you’re ready for that?”

“I have no choice,” I snapped, stopping in my tracks and turning to face him.

“Valeria isn’t going to stop, Luca. She’ll tear everything we love apart if we let her. I’m not willing to sit back and watch her win.”