We had left a literal inferno behind us. As Varg shifted back into his titanic black wolf form, I buried my fingers deep into his smoke-scented, coarse fur, clinging to him for dear life.
I was so exhausted...
The acidic burning in my veins hadn't even subsided yet. Being at the absolute center of chaos—watching an empire crumble and another be born in blood—had utterly frayed my nerves. It wasn't just the physical toll; it was the psychological weight of knowing that from this moment on, every breath I took was tethered to a monster who had just incinerated a legacy to keep me warm.
I felt as if sleep hadn't touched my eyes in forty years. My lashes were closing not from the cold Alberta wind, but from the sheer weight of my soul. It felt heavy, like a leaden coin sinking into a dark well.
"Varg…" I murmured softly. My voice sounded like a stranger's plea even to my own ears, a thin, paper-like sound against the backdrop of the ancient forest's silence.
