I felt a lump in my throat, and my hands tightened around the beer. This was the part of my life that I had kept secret, a part I had been hiding from Hunter and the pack. The real reason I had left.
I looked deeply into Hunter's honey-colored eyes, seeing curiosity but also a hint of pain and resentment. I knew I had to be honest with him, but what I would say could change everything between us.
“Their father is a human,” I murmured, my voice barely audible. “A man I met after leaving the pack.”
The revelation hung in the air like a heavy, uncomfortable burden. Hunter's reaction was unpredictable, and my heart raced as I awaited his response. I was about to find out whether the choice I made to protect my children would be understood or condemned.
Hunter clenched his jaw tightly, his
