Chapter75: The taste of victory

KELLY THOMPSON'S POV  The scent of blood lingered on the wind, a sharp reminder of the price we had paid. I stood amidst the rubble, the charred earth beneath my feet a testament to the ferocity of the battle that had raged just hours before. My pack, my family, and my allies were gathered around me, our collective exhaustion palpable in the stillness that followed the storm of combat. I could see it in their eyes-each one darkened with the weight of loss and weariness. Paul Biansky's hands were smeared with soot, his gaze distant as he stared at the broken form of what once was a proud pine standing guard over our land. Elara Windrider's silver hair was singed at the ends, her face smeared with ash as she leaned heavily against a fallen log, her usually vibrant aura dimmed by sorrow. As Luna Queen, it was my duty to be their anchor, but even I found my strength waning in the face of such desolation. The ground crunched under my boots as I paced through the remnants of what had been a