Ryker pours a little champagne into the plastic flutes, handing one to her before settling beside her on the blanket. The clearing is quiet, soft with fireflies and moonlight. It feels unreal — like something out of a life she never thought she’d get to live.
He studies her for a moment, not with Alpha intensity, but with genuine curiosity.
“El… since you’ve been here, I haven’t seen you use your powers. Or talk about them. Why?”
She stiffens, fingers tightening around the flute.
Of course he’d ask. Eventually, someone would.
She exhales slowly. “My whole life, my powers have made me feel isolated. Alone. Not powerful.”
Ryker’s brows pull together, but he stays silent, letting her speak.
“I was taught not to talk about my wolf. Not to shift near others. Not to show anything that mad
