ALICE POV
As I watched Alex retreat into the study with his father, a knot tightened in my stomach. The tension in the room had been suffocating, and it wasn’t hard to guess that whatever they needed to discuss was bad news. I had been around enough pack drama lately to recognize when something serious was brewing.
I lingered for a moment, still standing by the dining room table, my fingers tracing the grain of the wood absently. I wanted to stay, to listen in, but I knew Alex had a point. We had promised my mother we’d check in with her tonight, and the last thing I needed was her panicking. She’d already been bombarded with supernatural revelations, and considering she wasn’t exactly thrilled about it, I knew I couldn’t put off the call any longer.
“Come on,” I sighed, turning to Pa
