The gate buzzed once and went quiet. Dust hung in the hot air. Guards watched us over the chalk line. Jones stood with his hands behind his back. Sophia held his arm like it was a handle made for her palm.
I looked at them. Hate rose like heat from the road. I pressed it down. Now is not the time. Breathe. Stand. Wait.
Jones spoke first. “Isabella. Your release is complete."
His voice was steady. A report, not a welcome.
I answered in a flat tone. “Alpha."
He blinked at the word. He had expected “Jones." I did not give it to him.
Sophia let go of his sleeve and took two small steps toward me. She kept her chin low and her eyes soft. “Isabella, I'm sorry," she said. “I never wanted you to suffer."
I said nothing for one breath. Then another. My hands stayed loose at my sides.
“You g
