Ryder

"What do we do now?" Ivy whispers to me.

I look at her and then at Kaelan. The boy looks devastated as he watches Alice being taken away. But who can blame him?

"Kaelan, you belong in a pack, and you are more than welcome to join ours," I tell him.

Kaelan's eyes flicker with a mix of surprise and uncertainty as he absorbs my words. He glances back at Alice, who is being led away, and then back at me.

"I... I don't know," he says softly. "Everything is so confusing right now."

I place a reassuring hand on Kaelan's shoulder. "I understand that it's a lot to...