Melanie's POV
By the third evening, my communication stone buzzed. It was Trista.
"Mom, when are you coming home..." Her voice was soft and followed by a short silence.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I'm so bored alone here at the villa. Dad isn't home either," she complained quietly.
That's how I found out Archer was gone.
Knowing his schedule over the last two months, I figured he was probably handling corporate business and making alliance visits to other packs.
Those kinds of trips usually meant he wouldn't be back all night.
"How about I come back home to hang out with you after I finish work, okay?"
She gave a small "Mhm" on the other end.
I went straight back to the villa that evening. The pack guards were patrolling in pairs on the porch. Black stone markers set with silver ru
