Elodie's POV~
The elderly woman frowned. "Elodie—"
"Mom's here?" Liora's voice broke through the quiet tension. She had just come down from the upper floor, her soft curls bouncing as she hurried forward. The sight of her, so bright, so innocent made my throat tighten. Two weeks. That's how long it had been since I last saw her, and even now, I couldn't bring myself to smile.
Before I could say a word, Liora ran into my arms. "Mom!" Her small body collided with mine, warm and trembling, her scent a mix of wild lilies and wolf. My heart cracked. I wrapped my arms around her gently, my voice barely escaping in a quiet hum. "Hey, baby…"
That was all I could manage.
The elderly lady cleared her throat softly, her expression smoothing into something polite, practiced. She never liked scene
