Fiona's POV
The adrenaline was still coursing through me as we returned to the packhouse. My heart was pounding, and the faint hum of Snow's power beneath my skin reminded me how much had changed. The battle had been a test—of my strength, my will, my place here—and I had passed. But Sebastian's hand on my lower back, guiding me through the crowd, was a reminder of what was still fragile between us.
The village was safe. The rogues had been driven back, and no lives had been lost tonight. Yet I couldn't shake the lingering tension in Sebastian's gaze or the protective way he hovered near me, like he was afraid I'd disappear.
We stepped inside, the warmth of the hall was opposite to the cool night outside. The warriors who followed us back peeled away, murmuring about patrol shifts and fortifications. Leo stayed close, his sharp eyes flicking between Sebastian and me, but even he seemed more amused than concerned.
