Esther’s POV
The room was silent except for the faint hum of the air conditioner and the scrape of my suitcase wheels against the floor. My hands shook as I folded yet another shirt, pressing the fabric flat against the neatly packed stacks in my bag.
Each movement felt deliberate and methodical like a ritual I was performing to convince myself that leaving Blue Lake Pack was the only option. That leaving would protect Kevin’s reputation, shield my children, and prevent another public disaster.
The headlines from earlier that morning still haunted me: “Alpha King Nicholas Crawford and Dr. E. Arden Spotted Together at Medical Summit!” The photos burned into my brain. They showed the closeness, the casual touch of hands that weren’t meant to be touching, the poised confidence I
