The morning started quietly, but I could feel the tension in the air even before I left the attic. The pack house was too still. The warriors were out training near the cliffs, and only the sound of the wind moved through the empty halls. I finished folding the clean sheets from the washroom and stepped outside to hang them on the line.
The garden behind the house was large and full of white roses, the kind that looked soft until you felt the thorns. I liked coming here. It was one of the few places I could breathe without someone telling me I didn’t belong.
The air smelled of earth and sunlight. I let the wind touch my hair, closing my eyes for a moment. Even Aria was quiet inside me, her usual restless hum fading into the background. For a few heartbeats, everything was peaceful. Th
