Chapter 174. In Your Hands I Survive

Xerina’s POV

We laid there. Together and naked in each other’s arms.

Rasmus had his arm around me.

The scent of blood still lingered in the air, a reminder of the chaos that had unfolded just hours ago. Papa and Luca were resting, their wounds severe but not fatal. I stood outside the tent, staring into the darkened horizon, feeling the weight of everything that had transpired.

Valeria… the mere thought of her name sent a wave of anger crashing through me. She was more powerful than we’d anticipated, and she had Leon at her side. That alone made her more dangerous than I could have ever imagined. And Zane…he was with her. Betrayal ran deep in his blood. The memory of them standing together burned in my mind, a twisted alliance I hadn’t foreseen.

I clenched my fists, the pulse of my own power simmering beneath my skin. Every muscle in my body ached, but it wasn’t from the physical battle. It was the weight of failure—of watching them escape while