The silence stretched for what felt like hours, thick and oppressive, as Ava’s words lingered in the air. My mind spun, trying to process everything that had just been revealed. I wasn’t just some innocent bystander anymore. I was key to something larger—something I didn’t understand, but was inevitably tied to.
I glanced at Asher, searching his face for some kind of reassurance, but found none. His expression was unreadable, his jaw tight with the weight of his own emotions. He had been so sure—so confident in his choice to be with me. But now? Now, there was something in his eyes that I couldn’t quite place. Fear? Doubt?
“Is it true?” I asked softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “What she said. That I’m the key to the pack’s future?”
Asher didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he s
