Nora's POV
Dead leaves scatter beneath my boots as I pause at the forest's edge, my yard stretching out before me. If I shift slightly and peer through the oak trees, I can glimpse our home waiting in the distance.
Our sanctuary.
The place where James and I built something real.
I should be racing forward, breaking through these trees with joy lighting up my face. My coven sisters want me back. They've opened their arms wide, ready to fight the Grand Shadowhaven's outdated rules about witches who dare to love vampires.
The Grand Shadowhaven finds themselves drowning in controversy. Their elevated status came from community votes, and right now, support for reelection has vanished completely. What used to represent honor now feels tarnished after their repeated failures to protect us. Twice in one year they've abandoned the same coven, leaving every witch and warlock questioning their leadership.
