Damien's POV:
The moment we got back to the pack house, I could feel the weight of everything crashing down on me. I held Leslie tightly in my arms, my wolf still buzzing with the adrenaline from the fight. I had seen her unleash a power I didn't even know she possessed, and while part of me was proud of her strength, the other part of me was terrified. I was supposed to protect her, and instead, she had to face the witches alone.
Leslie had collapsed into my arms after the battle, her body trembling from exhaustion. I could feel her heartbeat—strong but slow—and I knew the toll this had taken on her. Her wolf had surged forward to protect their children, tapping into a force that seemed far beyond anything we'd ever known. It wasn't just the maternal instinct; it was something ancient, something powerful. As I carried her back, every step felt heavier, not just from her weight, but from the guilt weighing down on me. How had I let this happen?
