Jake's POV
The pack was still whispering.
I could feel it.
The weight of their stares. The hushed voices that trailed off whenever I walked by.
But right now?
Right now, none of it mattered.
Because for the first time in days
Brielle was alone.
She sat on a stone bench in the pack gardens, her back straight, her fingers idly tracing the vines curling along the carved edges.
She hadn’t noticed me yet.
Or maybe she had, and she was just ignoring me.
Wouldn’t be the first time.
I hesitated.
Not because I didn’t want to approach her
But because I wasn’t sure what I was going to say.
Simon's words from earlier still lingered.
She won’t wait forever.
I exhaled sharply.
Then, finally
I stepped forward.
The gravel crunched beneath my boots, breaking the silence.
Brielle tense
