---
I sighed, fighting the urge to sink to the ground. Some part of me had known I wouldn't be able to avoid this confrontation but I still had no desire to deal with it right now.
"I know," I replied quietly, my Wolf whining in the back of my mind. She disliked the looks on some of my packmates' faces. Tentatively, I raised my head up and scanned the group, making eye contact with each one of them. Fortunately, some of the looks seemed closer to concern than downright animosity. Perhaps pack affection was winning out.
My gaze finally met Will's. To my relief, his blue eyes contained worry for me and nothing else. He gave me a slight nod of reassurance and I tried to force myself to relax. If Will was on my side, then surely some of the others would understand, too.
In an instant, Alph
