Diane’s POV
The sun had started to set, casting long shadows across the pack grounds. My heart pounded in my chest as I stood near the entrance of the forest, waiting for Jayden. The air was cool, filled with the scent of damp earth and pine. It was strange how something so peaceful could also be the place where everything had gone wrong.
Footsteps approached, heavy and deliberate. I turned to see Jayden walking toward me, his face unreadable. His dark eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite place—wariness, frustration, maybe even curiosity.
“You’re sure about this?” he asked, stopping a few feet away from me.
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Yes.”
He let out a sharp breath. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
Without another word, he stepped past me, entering the fo
