“Happy Birthday, Mason!”
The words echo through the vast halls of the Mones mansion, a chorus of voices blending together. Some are familiar—friends, allies, members of my pack. Others are strangers, their faces hidden behind ornate masks, their greetings empty and distant. It’s a lavish affair, a celebration meant to honor my twenty-first birthday, yet all I feel is exhaustion. Everything about tonight—the extravagant decorations, the towering chandeliers, the hushed whispers of admiration—feels old and repetitive, like I’ve lived through it all before.
Except for her.
Elena.
The moment she steps into the mansion’s grand foyer, the air shifts. A hush ripples through the crowd like a slow-burning wildfire, every gaze snapping toward the entrance. It’s as if the entire world stops breat
