He looked at me, and there was something in his eyes—worry, maybe. Or guilt. Or both.
“You’re strong, Selene,” he said quietly. “Stronger than they know.”
I didn’t respond.
I couldn’t.
Because I wanted to believe that. I really did.
But sometimes, strength didn’t matter.
Not without a wolf.
We went back inside, washed up quickly, and joined Lilian and Rhea at the table for dinner. Nothing fancy—vegetable stew with bread on the side—but it smelled amazing, and the warmth of it settled deep into my bones.
We talked softly over the meal. Rhea told us about a dream she had where she turned into a dragon and flew over the school. Lilian laughed. Dad chuckled. I listened and smiled.
It was nice.
Normal.
I didn’t want it to end.
But in the back of my mind, I could feel the countdown t
