I woke up feeling like I hadn't slept at all. Again.
The nights were getting harder longer somehow. Whenever I closed my eyes, I'd dream of shadows moving in the forest… of eyes watching me.
And that scent.
Still there.
Faint, but heavy. Clinging to my skin like invisible smoke. It wasn't supposed to last this long no Alpha scent ever did. Yet it lingered no matter how many baths I took or how many herbs I burned to mask it.
My wolf hated it.
Restless. Pacing. Growling at shadows only it could see.
It felt like waiting for something that wouldn't come… or maybe waiting for something I didn't want to come.
So I did what I always did when I needed to keep my mind busy with work.
The morning passed in a blur of duties. My father had visitors from a neighboring pack, Kaelen was helping patrol the border, and I was left to make sure everyone was taken care of. It should've been enough to keep my thoughts straight. But it wasn't.
