- Aria
By the time Luca hung up, my chest felt tight in that stupid way I hated—like someone had wrapped invisible fingers around my ribs and squeezed.
Alder staying behind…
Sure. It sounded sweet and concerned, but I knew the truth: it was likely just monitoring.
I wasn’t naive. Luca didn’t do things out of pure kindness.
And the fact I even had to guess his motives? That said enough.
I stood outside Old Magnus’s ward for a minute, fingers curled into fists, trying to swallow the complicated mess sitting in my chest.
It wasn't anger or sadness. It was the vague, aching in-between, where you feel pain but can't pinpoint the source.
Wolves were supposed to have instincts that cut through lies, but mine?
Mine just sighed and said, Yeah, girl, he doesn’t trust you
