That shuts me up instantly.
My hand moves before I can stop it, my fingers brushing against the cold metal collar at my throat—a sharp, unforgiving reminder of everything I’ve lost… and everything that’s been taken from me.
My jaw tightens, but I say nothing as the truth settles in, whether I like it or not.
Because she’s right.
And I hate it.
“Don’t worry,” Nora adds quickly, her tone softening slightly—she must have noticed the shift in my expression—though the urgency never leaves her voice. “Alpha Kei will handle the attack. He’ll protect his pack… and you.”
Something twists painfully in my chest at that—at his name.
I force myself to ignore the annoying flutter in my stomach. Now is not the time for that, not when he’s the one who did this to me.
I don’t need his protection. I
