~Matteo POV~
The twin bond's power shift had tipped the scales toward Elias, and the war room was buzzing as we scrambled to rebalance it. My laptop was open, tracking energy spikes, while Annalyn gripped the focus stone, her pregnancy making her wince but her eyes sharp. Lucas paced, his wolf growling, Calix twirled his knife, and Ezra's runes flickered, scanning for solutions.
Mara stood by the door, their Visaya runes dim, looking guilty, while Russo smirked from his chained corner. Kael and Rorik, our other chained traitors, stayed quiet, and with Elias's army gaining ground, we had to fix this power drain fast.
"Okay, we're bleeding power to Mara," I said, checking my screen. "The twin bond's screwing us—Elias is capitalizing. We need to rebalance."
Annalyn frowned, the stone pulsing. "Rebalance how? I'm not cutting Mara out—they're family."
Mara nodded, their voice steady. "I'm not stealing it. Let's even the flow—share the load."
