ELVIE
We left the White Walkers’ hideout in silence, my thoughts swirling as my father drove us back toward the pack lands. The image of Achilles stayed vivid in my mind—his commanding presence, his calm, powerful gaze. I couldn’t shake the feeling he left within me. No one else—not Jake, not Tom—had ever made me feel this way, a mix of fear and longing, all wrapped up into one. My heart beat faster, and I hated that it did.
“Elvie,” my father’s voice broke through my thoughts, “you’ve been quiet since we left. What’s on your mind?”
I looked out the window, faking nonchalance. I didn’t want him to see how rattled I felt. How could I explain to him that just the thought of Achilles was enough to make me feel strange things? I couldn’t. He’d never understand.
And he didn’t need to kn
