Across the packhouse, Dorothy sits alone in her bedroom, carefully adding final touches to her sketch. The broken heart-shaped box now lies amid scattered rose petals, each one rendered with painful precision. In the corner of the page, almost hidden in shadow, is a small wolf figure watching from a distance.
Her phone buzzes with a text from Lila: "Dinner in 5. You coming?"
Dorothy sighs, setting aside her sketch. She doesn't feel like facing the pack tonight, especially not with the possibility of seeing Magnus across the dining hall. Yet hiding away would only fuel gossip and draw unwanted attention.
"On my way," she texts back, reluctantly rising to change into fresh clothes.
In the communal dining hall, pack members gather in their usual social clusters. Ethan stands with his trai
