The good day didn’t make the night kinder.
For a while, it almost fooled her. Evening settled over Nightfall with a soft hand. After dinner some wolves drifted outside to smoke or talk under the stars; others stayed by the hall fire, mending gear or playing cards. Aria listened more than she spoke, letting the murmur of unfamiliar voices wash over her.
No one asked about Silvercrest. No one said Aiden’s name.
By the time she climbed the narrow stairs to her room, she felt… not fine, but held together by more than stubbornness. Pups’ lessons tomorrow, she reminded herself. A loop around the ridge. Maybe helping in the kitchen if Lena didn’t lose interest before breakfast.
She fell asleep quickly, body heavy with the unfamiliar weight of a day without crisis.
Sleep didn’t last.
In the
