Elara’s POV
I giggled softly as Kael carried me down the stairs, my arms looped loosely around his neck while his hand rested securely at my waist, his warmth grounding me in a way that made everything else in the world feel distant and unimportant. The morning light filtered through the tall windows of the pack house, casting golden streaks across the polished wooden floor, I felt completely at ease.
“Look who we have here,” came a voice that made my spine stiffen despite the comfort in Kael’s arms.
I did not need to turn to know who it was. Jasmine’s tone carried that familiar blend of sweetness and venom, a forced melody that grated against my nerves the moment it reached my ears. She was seated at the dining table, her plate arranged neatly before her as though she had been waiting
