Auren POV
When I shifted my arm to rest it on the center console, Lorien flinched away. The movement was small but sharp enough to sting. I exhaled, long and frustrated, then reached for the radio and turned the volume up just to keep Rion from talking.
It worked. The rest of the drive sank into tense silence that only grew heavier the closer we got to town.
By the time I pulled into the driveway, the air in the car felt suffocating. Everyone unbuckled before I’d even put it in park. The second the wheels stopped, doors slammed, and the others were spilling out eager to escape the tension hanging between Lorien and me.
Her door slammed the loudest.
She stalked ahead of me into the pack house, pausing only once in the entryway. Her shoulders were drawn tight, posture rigid and alert. S
