Chapter 56
Staring down at the retreating forms of the demonic beasts, Euphoria felt as though the world had tilted on its axis in a single heartbeat. She had planned to play a long, agonizing game of attrition with Hank, never imagining his own pack would be the ones to break him.
She understood the cold logic of the ghost beasts; subservience only lasted as long as the leader was the strongest predator in the clearing. The moment Hank showed a crack, they struck. It was that same logic that had driven her to stab the traitorous wolf—she had calculated the odds in a split second and realized that a wounded Hank was a far safer bet than a pack of mutineers. If she had fallen into their hands, her story would have ended exactly like the female who came before her.
Choosing Hank was a tactical necessity. But it was Bern's sudden appearance that truly saved them. Recalling the sheer adrenaline of the escape, her blood still felt electric.
