ALEX POV
The stroll back to the pack house was a blur, my thoughts a tangled mess. My father’s words kept hammering in my head, the weight of them pressing down like a heavy cloak. *The Werewolf King.* Just thinking about it made my chest tighten, anxiety gnawing at me from the inside out. How the hell was I supposed to break this to Alice? How could I even begin to tell her about the storm that was looming over us? How do I tell her she has to “wait” to mark me?
Beside me, Alice and Paolo were chatting away, oblivious to the chaos roaring in my head. Their voices were light, happy, with Ilaria chiming in occasionally. It should’ve been comforting, but it only amplified the tension in me. Every step we took toward the pack house felt heavier, like I was dragging the weight of the world
