SLOANE
Lucas was the first person I saw the moment I stepped into the pack house, and I swear to God, I almost sighed in relief.
After the tense exchange I had with Helena earlier, my nerves were already stretched thin. I didn’t have the patience, or the emotional strength, to deal with another confrontation. Especially not with Beta Jacob. The man had a way of looking at me like I was something dragged in on the bottom of his shoe. He never hid it. Not once.
Lucas stood near the entrance, dressed sharply as always, posture straight, face calm. But when his eyes landed on me, his expression softened just a little.
“You made it back,” he said.
“I said I would,” I replied.
He studied my face for a moment, like he was checking for cracks. “You alright?”
I hesitated. Lying felt pointle
