Tabitha's POV
The fire crackled softly in the pack house’s living room, its flickering light casting long, dancing shadows against the wooden walls. I stood at the hearth, one hand gripping the mantle, the other loosely holding a glass of untouched wine. The warmth of the flames did nothing to chase away the cold knot of guilt that had taken up permanent residence in my chest. How fitting, I thought bitterly, that the fire burned so brightly while I stood frozen in its glow.
The truth weighed heavily on me tonight. Everything—the chaos with Juda, the return to this place, and Aria’s unrelenting goodness—it all traced back to me. Decades of lies and manipulation had brought her here, to the doorstep of danger. For all my cleverness, my calculated choices, I had failed her in the one way t
