The tension in the air was palpable. Evelyn’s arrival felt like a stone dropped into still water, rippling out in waves of unease. The pack, always so tightly knit, seemed to fray at the edges under the weight of her presence. Even on my day off, I could feel the shift, the way everyone whispered when her name came up, the way eyes darted toward her like she was some omen of misfortune.
I didn’t need Haelyn’s warnings to know that Evelyn was trouble. Her reputation had preceded her—a force of nature in her own right, rumored to wield influence as deftly as a blade. She was Alpha Zane’s cousin, but her connection to him seemed more of a calculated tether than a familial bond. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she had come for more than a casual visit.
I had planned to use the rest of my d
