"I vow to guard your heart as fiercely as I defend our home with every breath, every beat, and all the love I carry within me."
The sun had barely crested the eastern cliffs when I stepped onto the training field of the Bay Shifter military base. The morning air was sharp with salt and steel, and already the sound of clashing swords and shifting paws filled the air. This was home to me. Chaos with discipline. Loyalty forged in fire. And today, strategy would guide it all. Rita was already inside the main war room, leaning over the map spread across the central table like a queen about to wage war. Her long braid was tucked behind her back, and her sharp eyes scanned every inch of terrain and border. She did not need to look up to know I had entered.
"You're late," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips.
