LUCY
Just before nine, everything changed with the sound of the doorbell.
I sensed something was wrong before I saw her. The atmosphere around the Alpha house was tense with grief and panic. The guards barely announced her before Bethany burst in, appearing as if she had been running for her life.
She was inconsolable.
My sister-in-law collapsed against me, her body shaking with sobs. Bethany had always been quietly strong, carrying her fears with dignity. Now, her devastation was unmistakable.
“Lucy,” she choked, fingers clutching at my blouse like an anchor. “I saw him. Goddess knows, I saw him.”
I closed the door and held her as her knees buckled. We sat on the couch, her cries filling the quiet house. Her scent was filled with panic, despair, and something even darker—something
