~Ezra POV~
The ritual's half-lift on the fertility curse had backfired, amplifying Annalyn's heat to a level that had her pacing the war room like a caged wolf, her scent hitting me like a damn tidal wave. My runes were buzzing, Lira's spirit a faint echo in my mind, and the Moon Alpha's voice whispered about desires and balance.
Annalyn clutched the focus stone, her pregnancy making her wince, while Lucas paced beside her, Calix leaned against the wall twirling his knife, and Matteo tapped his laptop. Mara watched from the warded corner, their Visaya runes dim, and Russo smirked, chains rattling. Kael and Rorik, our chained traitors, kept quiet, but with Elias's army out there, managing her heat was priority one before it drew more threats.
"She's burning up," I said, stepping closer, my runes warming to her scent. "The ritual boosted her heat—we need to manage it, or it'll pull every Visaya in the highlands."
