ASHER POV
Two years ago, I swore an oath.
After the war, after the pain, after the bloodshed that stole friends, family, and sanity, I held my daughter in my arms..safe but shaken..and I swore to the moon and stars above: never again.
Never again would anyone take what was mine.
Never again would I watch the people I love suffer because of power-hungry beasts in wolfskin.
Never again would I hesitate when it came to protecting my family.
Loria had been just a child when she was taken. I could still see her eyes, wide with fear, when Nadia and I burst into that forest and found her. Tied. Muffled. Magic seeping from the walls.
My fists clenched at the memory.
She had smiled when she saw me. As if she knew I'd come. As if she never doubted.
That smile was the only thing that kept me from ripping apart the girl responsible before Nadia could speak.
I was scared, she was taken because she was the key to whatever it was..but I'll make sure such never happened again.
