Layla’s POV Long after Nate’s form vanished, I lingered at the windowsill, gazing toward his departure, a sigh escaping me before I returned to my room to prepare for school. Whether Nate was by my side or not, whether Lucas was distracted by Vera, I’d stick to my plan: attend classes until Elias’s suspicions were confirmed. My years in Rose Pack left gaps in the knowledge I should’ve gained as a Starlight Clan member. My healing blood—unique even among Starlight wolves—stood out starkly. At lunch with the young wolves, I learned their abilities, and those of their kin, relied on external conduits: star crystals, herbs, ores. Only I could heal with my blood alone, no medium required. Thankfully, the past month’s lessons were theoretical, so I’d only confided my ability to Lucas, not the

