Henrietta let the silence breathe. It wasn't the reason she was unsure, but rather because she refused to answer a question built on a wrong assumption.
When she finally spoke, her voice was calm. "You're asking the wrong thing," she said.
Gideon's eyes narrowed slightly, the tension in his shoulders not easing. His wolf remained agitated, waiting for denial... for confirmation... for something he could brace against.
She met his gaze without flinching. "This isn't about whether I leave," Henrietta continued. "And it isn't about whether I stay."
A faint crease appeared between his brows. "Henrietta—"
"No." She shook her head once, small but firm. "Listen to me."
Her wolf stepped forward inside her. Simply present. The bond adjusted, recalibrating around her certainty.
"You're treati
