Mirellie
The ride back to the estate felt much longer than the journey to the lodge. Maybe because this time, silence sat heavier inside the SUV like a living thing.
I kept my gaze fixed stubbornly on the rain-streaked window beside me while the convoy moved through the pack roads. The storm had weakened into a steady drizzle now, but the gray clouds overhead still made everything outside look cold and washed out.
Beside me, Evander had not spoken once since leaving the lodge. Not after his friends teased us and not after the awkward breakfast.
The mating bond remained painfully restless too. Not overwhelming like before, but constantly there beneath my skin. A quiet awareness that refused to disappear no matter how much distance I tried to force between us inside the vehicle.
Every t
