Elena POV
After Ryder Hale left, I collapsed onto the sofa, utterly exhausted. The adrenaline that had fueled my confrontation with Ryder had drained away, leaving me feeling weak and shaky. I closed my eyes, trying to recover from the shock of Ryder’s sudden appearance and the energy consumed by our confrontation.
“Elena, are you okay?” Elise’s voice echoed softly in my mind, filled with concern.
“Not really,” I replied, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. “Now you see how brutal he is. He tried to intimidate me, and I could see and feel his anger and hatred. He is a monster, a real monster.”
“But you slapped the monster,” Elise reminded me, her tone a mix of awe and worry. “If he is a monster, then you must be a trainer. But to be honest, I was really worried when y
