The wind roared through the trees, howling like a beast just beyond sight. My breath came fast, my heart hammering in my chest as I stood at the pack’s border, staring Asher down. His expression was unreadable, but I could feel the storm brewing beneath it—anger, desperation, something else I didn’t want to name.
I was done playing this game.
“You don’t get to decide what happens to me, Asher.” My voice was cold, steady, despite the chaos inside me. “I’m not some problem you can just… relocate.”
His jaw clenched. “This isn’t about control, Ava. It’s about keeping you alive.”
I laughed, sharp and bitter. “Right. And you suddenly care about that now?”
Something flickered in his eyes—pain, maybe—but it was gone in an instant. “I never wanted this to happen.”
I took a step forward, close
