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    She turned to see Marcus, her second-in-command, leaning against the frame, his brow furrowed. “You’re not seriously thinking of going alone, are you?”


    Marcus stepped closer, his voice low but urgent. “This is suicide. You know what Victor’s capable of. He’ll be expecting you.”


    Marcus sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You’re not just the Alpha of this pack, Clara. You’re our leader. If something happens to you—”


    Marcus studied her for a long moment, then nodded reluctantly. “Just…be careful. We need you.”


    As Marcus left, Clara turned to the mirror, her reflection staring back with icy resolve. She adjusted the strap of her blade, her fingers brushing against the scar on her wrist—a reminder of the battles she’d survived. She could do this. She had to.


    She remembered the way he’d leaned in, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered, “You’re not alone in this, Clara. Not anymore.”


    With one last glance at the mirror, Clara strode out of the room, her steps steady and purposeful. The night air was cold against her skin, but she barely felt it. Her focus was razor-sharp, her mind set on one goal: infiltrating Victor’s stronghold and bringing Noah home—no matter the cost.


    Clara crouched low behind a cluster of overgrown shrubs, her breath steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.


    “Two guards at the east gate,” she muttered under her breath, her sharp eyes picking out the figures pacing the perimeter. “Victor’s not taking any chances.”


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    She bypassed it with ease, her movements fluid and deliberate. The second guard post was trickier—a motion sensor rigged to trigger an alarm. Clara crouched behind a tree, her mind racing. “Think, Clara,” she hissed to herself. “What would Noah do?”


    “Did you hear that?” one barked, his hand hovering over his weapon.


    Clara seized the moment, slipping past them with practiced precision. Her heart hammered in her chest, but her focus never wavered. She was close now—she could feel it.


    She edged closer, her senses on high alert. The final obstacle was a laser grid, crisscrossing the entrance in a deadly pattern. Clara’s fingers trembled slightly as she pulled out a small mirror from her pack. “Here goes nothing,” she muttered, angling it to reflect the beams.


    “You’re good, Clara,” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination. “But this isn’t over yet.”


    She rounded a corner and froze. A guard stood just a few feet away, his back to her. Clara’s hand instinctively went to the knife at her belt, but she hesitated. “No,” she thought, her mind racing. “Noise will bring the whole place down on me.”


    Clara exhaled sharply, her chest heaving. “One down,” she muttered, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. “But how many more to go?”


    She straightened, her resolve hardening. “I’m coming, Noah,” she whispered, her voice fierce. “Just hold on.”