The room felt too small for the weight of what had been said.
Aisha sat with her arms wrapped around herself, shoulders hunched, eyes red and unfocused.
Callen remained where he was, deliberately giving her space, as if one wrong step might send her running.
“This doesn’t make sense,” she said finally, her voice flat. “None of it does.”
He didn’t interrupt.
She shook her head slowly, as if trying to dislodge the words he’d spoken earlier. “You’re talking about… packs and bonds and things that sound like folklore. That’s not real life.” She let out a shaky breath. “I’m not part of that. I can’t be.”
Callen watched her carefully. “Why not?”
She looked up at him, frustration flashing through her exhaustion. “Because I’m human. I go to work. I pay rent. I get my heart broken by the wro
