Forrest:
The morning air was crisp as I stepped out of the training hall, the sun casting long, golden rays over the pack lands. There was a calm to the day, the kind that used to bring me peace, but not this morning. Something was off.
It started with the way Stella left breakfast. We hadn’t spoken much after last night’s dinner. She’d seemed distracted, her mind far away even when I tried to pull her into conversation. She gave me a kiss goodbye, but it felt...hollow, like her thoughts were somewhere else entirely. I knew Stella, and when she bottled things up, it always spilled out sooner or later—sometimes with fire.
I passed by a few pack members on my way toward the garden paths, greeting them with nods. Smiles were offered, but they didn’t quite reach their eyes. A layer of uneas
