Alex’s POV
The night air is heavy with the aftermath of battle, still carrying the iron tang of blood and the acrid scent of smoke, but beneath it, there is something else, something softer, almost hidden, a thread of familiarity that coils around my senses and refuses to let me ignore it. I should be back at the packhouse with Ryan, strategizing, making sure the rogues have truly been pushed back, but instead I am out here, my boots crunching against the earth, my wolf straining at the edges of my control, pushing me forward, urging me to follow the trail I swore I would never chase again. Her scent. Elsa.
I try to tell myself I am only doing this because Amelia asked me to, because her words still echo in my head like a melody I cannot silence, her voice steady and filled with a convic
