By the next morning, the entire pack already knew something had happened.
Whispers travelled faster than wolves could run.
Arianna felt them long before she heard them.
Eyes followed her everywhere she went — curious, suspicious, sometimes even sympathetic. She kept her head down and focused on simple tasks: carrying laundry, sweeping corridors, helping Melissa prepare herbal mixtures.
Work kept her grounded.
Work kept her from thinking about the moment in the storage room.
About how close she had come to forgetting everything she had promised herself.
About how warm Alexander’s hand had felt against her skin.
Her wolf had been restless since then.
Not panicked.
Not angry.
Just… aware.
Alive in a way it had never been before.
It frightened her.
She was standing near the water
