Chapter 162

Aisha POV The battlefield was too quiet. The cries of the dying had faded, leaving only the wind carrying the stench of blood, smoke, and iron. My boots sank into dirt sticky with gore, and though I tried to steady my breathing, my chest still heaved from the fight. Around me, our warriors regrouped in disciplined clusters, their armor dented, their fur bristling, their eyes following Simon’s every command. Simon stood at the center of it all, his presence towering even in silence. His blade dripped red, his arm bleeding freely where steel had kissed him, but his expression was unreadable. Cold. Controlled. Not once did his eyes linger on me. That cut deeper than any wound I had suffered tonight. He gave orders like an Alpha carved from stone, his voice firm, sharp, leaving no room for hesitation. Renik darted off with a scouting unit, others began clearing bodies, and the younger wolves rushed to gather our fallen. The pack obeyed him without falter, their loyalty absolute. But I felt