Chapter 97

ELIZA’S POV I didn’t wait for Derek. I couldn’t. The weight in my chest was too heavy and the ache in my heart felt too loud. I needed to move, to walk off the edge of that battlefield and feel something else. So, I went down the mountain alone. The cold wind bit at my face as I descended. The camp came into view below. I could see the tents glowing softly with lamplight. Soldiers scattered in small groups, some laughing, others silent. The air was thick with victory and exhaustion. I walked past them all, ignoring the congratulations, the questions, the praise. I had nothing left to give. I found Alexander in the command tent, standing over the war table. Maps were spread across it, papers scattered. I could tell it was one of those stressful nights again. He looked up the second I stepped inside. “Eliza,” he said with a small smile. His eyes locked with mine, and something passed between us—something that made my wolf stir in my chest. Something that pulled me to him in a way I could