Elena’s POV
Morning found me cold and aching, sunlight spilling through a high window like it didn’t care what had happened the night before. My shoulder throbbed viciously as I forced myself upright and leaned against the wall. The packhouse was quiet now. I walked back toward the main corridor on unsteady legs.
The guards outside Eric’s suite were gone. My heart stumbled.
I moved closer, every step cautious, hopeful and terrified until I heard voices inside. The door wasn’t fully closed. And whatever I was about to hear…I knew it would change everything.
I stopped short when I heard voices drifting through the half‑open door.
“…It’s a relief to see you again, Sara,” a deep, aged voice said, Eric’s father. “This pack has felt off-balance ever since you left.”
His mothe
