BELLA
When Ralph finished recounting the story, I sat frozen, my mind struggling to process it. Luther had marched into the pack house like a storm and thrown Layla out without hesitation. For years, I’d dreamed of someone standing up for me like that, of someone seeing the truth and doing something about it.
Now that it had happened, I didn’t know what to do with the mix of relief, anger, and confusion swirling inside me.
“Where is Layla now?” I asked quietly.
“Gone,” Ralph said. “She didn’t have a choice. Father made sure of that.”
The air felt heavy between us. I set my notebook aside and stood, brushing my hands against my jeans to keep them steady. “I need to see him.”
Ralph nodded as though he’d expected this. “He’s waiting for you at the pack house.”
I drove t
