Chapter 149

Valeria’s POV

Leaving my mates behind to their own devices, I decided it was time to retreat indoors and freshen up.

The weight of the day clung to me like a heavy cloak. From the intimacy of the morning to the brief but intense battle, I felt the need to wash it all away, to scrub the remnants of the hours from my skin and reclaim a sense of normalcy.

The air still smelled faintly of conflict, of