AIDEN
Ethan didn't call, and that alone told me how serious this was. When he showed up outside my building instead, engine running at the curb, eyes fixed straight ahead, I knew the message wasn't his. He stayed in the car longer than necessary, like he needed a moment before stepping into the role he'd been given. When he finally got out, his movements were slow and careful, the way they always were when Pack business entered the conversation.
"They sent me," he said once I reached him.
I leaned against the car door, arms folding without thought. "I figured."
"They want you home," he continued, not meeting my eyes. "Not later. Not after the investigation. Now."
"Who decided," I asked, even though the answer already pressed at my chest.
"All of them," Ethan said. "The
