Trigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of violence.
The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting a silvery glow over the forest as I stepped outside. The air was cool and crisp, a welcome contrast to the tension that had been building inside the packhouse. After the meeting, I felt the weight of my responsibilities pressing down on me like a heavy cloak. But more than that, I felt the need for release, for a moment of clarity amidst the chaos.
Carter had been by my side throughout everything, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we needed this time together. We had shared so much, yet there was still so much left unsaid. The mate bond thrummed between us, a constant reminder of what we had begun to build.
As I made my way deeper into the woods, I could hear the sound of the
