EMMA
I don’t sleep again.
I lie on the narrow inn bed with the lights on, coat still on my body like armor, listening to the soft creak of the building settling and the distant whisper of wind through trees. Every sound feels intentional. Every shadow feels watched.
Damien’s voice won’t leave my head.
Once the packs realize what you are… you won’t get to choose anymore.
I curl onto my side and press my fist to my mouth to keep from making a sound. My chest aches—not sharp, not panicked—just heavy. Weighted. Like something has wrapped itself around my ribs and refuses to let go.
The bond.
I hate that word now. Hate that it explains too much.
I sit up and swing my legs off the bed. The floor is cold beneath my feet, grounding. Real. Human. I cling to that as I pace the small room, ru
