Thelma's POV
The days following the disastrous ceremony blurred together in a haze of tension and whispered conversations. I'd been confined to my quarters, not by force, but by the suffocating atmosphere that now permeated every corner of the pack house. The looks I received from pack members ranged from curiosity to outright hostility, and I knew my parents were working overtime to contain the damage I'd caused to their carefully laid plans.
But I didn't regret it. Not for a second.
I stood by my window, watching the sun rise over the forest that bordered our territory. Somewhere out there, Xavier was waiting for his pack's representatives to arrive. Somewhere out there, my future was being rewritten in ways I could barely comprehend.
A soft knock on my door made me turn. "Come in."
