Agatha
The clink of my father’s fork against porcelain was maddening in its steadiness. Each scrape, each measured cut of meat was like a judge’s gavel against my skull. He didn’t look at me for long at first… just long enough to narrow his eyes and search for something I wasn’t sure I wanted him to find. Weakness. Doubt. Or maybe even guilt.
But when his gaze finally broke away, settling back on his meal, I let myself exhale.
“What are the Elders saying about your relationship with the Alpha?” Father asked, his voice steady, casual, yet laced with something warmer than I expected. Concern. It was a rare currency from him of late, and one I wasn’t entirely sure how to spend.
I tilted my head, keeping my tone light, unconcerned.
“They aren’t very welcoming. They whisper, they murmur,
