Victor's POV
Ava’s fingers were wrapped tightly around my arm, her grip stronger than it should have been.
I didn’t pull away. I didn’t even try. My wolf had already gone quiet.
Then she started crying, but not like Laura, loud, dramatic tears. This was different. It was quiet, broken, and controlled.
I could hear the hitch in her breathing, the uneven rhythm of her heart, the way her chest trembled as she fought to suppress every sound.
Her tears gathered slowly, spilling over despite her effort, and she bit down on her lip hard enough that I caught the faint scent of blood.
She was holding it in. Every instinct in me sharpened.
Panic hit me then. It came fast and sharp, tightening my chest in a way I couldn’t explain. My instincts, which were usually so precise, felt… off.
I didn
