Chase's POV:
The moment I saw the castle come into view, an odd sensation rippled through me. Relief, maybe? Or perhaps it was anticipation. I hadn't realized just how much I'd missed this place until now. Not the cold stone walls or the grand halls—those were just structures—but the people within. No, the person within.
Leila. And Ash too, of course. That kid had somehow warmed his way into my dead, frozen heart without me noticing. They'd both made this castle feel alive, a sanctuary of sorts, even for someone like me.
I'd been gone for weeks, carrying out my plans to erase the stain of the Blood Moon Pack from existence. It was dirty work, the kind of thing that required precision, patience, and a level of ruthlessness that I hadn't tapped into in a while. But it was done now, and the world was better for it. Safer—for Leila especially.
