Nicholas POV.
I sank into the leather seat of the car, my heart still hammering in my chest. My hands were stained with Celeste's blood, and no matter how many times I rubbed them against my black trousers, the red refused to fade.
The silence in the car pressed against my ears, heavy and suffocating. I forced myself to breathe, long and slow, though every breath felt sharp, like knives cutting through my lungs.
"Nathan," I said, my voice low but firm. "Drive."
"Yes, Alpha," he replied at once. His voice trembled slightly as he gripped the steering wheel. The engine roared to life, breaking the suffocating silence of the woods.
The car rolled forward, leaving behind the thick bushes and the dark shadows where Celeste's last scream still echoed in my head. I leaned back in my seat, resting my arm against the window, my jaw locked tight.
