AVALINE
The applause had barely died when Orion’s phone buzzed.
At first, I thought he would ignore it. He never answered calls in public, especially not when he was busy with family. But something in his expression changed the moment he looked at the screen. The faint pride that had softened his features seconds ago vanished, replaced by the same cold stillness he wore every single day.
“Lesley?” I heard him say, his voice low but tense.
The name made me stop. Lesley?
Orion turned away before I could hear anything else, his jaw clenched, his body rigid. The crowd was still talking, but I wasn’t listening anymore. Something was wrong. I could feel it. The air around him shifted, thick and heavy, as if even his wolf had gone silent.
Leo tugged on my hand, his small voice cutting thr
