Kael lay on the bed, his body still weak from the injuries he had sustained in his battle with Marcus. His chest felt like it was on fire, and every movement sent sharp, stabbing pain through his limbs. But none of that compared to the ache in his heart—the gnawing sense of failure that pulsed through him with every beat.
He had let Lyra down. He had let Marcus take her, and now she was in the hands of the very wolf he had sworn to protect her from.
The room was dimly lit, the only sound the soft crackle of the fire in the hearth. But even that couldn't calm the storm raging inside him. His mind kept replaying the moment he saw Marcus dragging Lyra away, her terrified eyes meeting his as he lay bleeding on the ground, powerless to stop it.
"How could I have let this happen?"
