The days turned into weeks, and I tried to put my restlessness and the dream behind me as everyone pitched in and worked to rebuild the village. As it began taking shape, a monument to our resilience, the pack started looking to Elysia and me with trust and hope again: carrying faith that we could lead them to a better tomorrow.
It was because of this trust, I began feeling further like a fake. Though I was their Alpha, I was no longer confident I could lead them to anything. The lack of confidence in myself ate at me…deeply.
But amidst my inner chaos, the pack grew closer.
Dante, a sixteen-year-old barely into his first shift, became like a little brother to Elysia, his mischievous antics bringing much-needed laughter to our nights. The others, too, found their places beside us, their
