Chapter 40
Inside the Blue Lake packhouse, life had shifted into a grim sort of autopilot. Despite the shadow hanging over them, the gears of the pack continued to grind; Wyatt still had a territory to lead, and the sentinels still had to man their posts with unwavering vigilance. Kendrick and Jason moved through their duties as Beta and Gamma with practiced efficiency, while Milan and Melody balanced the weight of the crisis against the relentless demands of motherhood.
The world didn't stop turning, and neither did Rylee’s responsibilities. Even as every fiber of her being screamed at her to abandon everything and focus solely on the search for Aurora, she couldn't stop being a mother to Sam. The duality of her life was a quiet torture—fixing a plate or offering a comforting word to on
