The walk to Asher’s office felt longer than it should have. Each step was heavier than the last, my heartbeat a steady, pulsing roar in my ears. The early autumn wind bit at my skin, slipping under my jacket like icy fingers, but it wasn’t enough to cool the fire raging inside me.
I wasn’t sure what I expected from this confrontation. A confession? A fight? Closure? Maybe I wasn’t expecting anything at all—just an outlet, just somewhere to place all the anger swelling in my chest before it devoured me whole.
The pack compound loomed ahead, half-hidden by the trees, and despite everything, a small part of me felt sickeningly familiar with it. I hated that part. Hated the way it still longed for something I would never have.
The guards at the entrance stiffened when they saw me, exchangin
