POV: Lucen
I was taught to lead. Aphrodite is teaching me to listen.
The rockslide still echoes in my mind hours later. The sound of tons of stone cascading down. The rope pulling tight. The certainty that we were about to lose someone.
And through it all, Kai stayed calm. Anchored us. Kept Aphrodite safe.
I helped. Grabbed her arm when she stumbled. Used twin strength to pull her back from the edge. But Kai was the one who saw the slide coming. The one who positioned us to survive it. The one whose knowledge of terrain saved all our lives.
We make camp on the far side of the pass, everyone too exhausted to go farther. The twins and I should be on high alert, protective instincts screaming after the near-death experience. Instead, I watch Aphrodite defer to Kai for camp placement, defensive positioning, watch rotation.
She trusts his judgment over wolf instinct. Over our input. Over bonds that should give us precedence.
