CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
The days bleed into each other, a blur of constant movement and hushed whispers that seem to echo the void Alec's absence has carved in my world. At pack meetings, I find myself scanning the gathered circle of wolves for that one pair of eyes that always used to seek mine out, but now they're just... gone. It’s like he’s evaporated into the thick forest air, leaving me gasping and disoriented.
"Focus, Bella," I chide myself, my gaze snapping back to the Alpha as he discusses patrol routes. The forest around us is alive with the sounds of our kind, but it's a dissonant symphony without Alec's baritone blending in.
Meal times are worse. The long wooden tables laden with game and fresh berries feel barren. I tense every time someone brushes past, hoping it's him, only to
