CHAPTER 9

The night was still, the air thick with anticipation as Elena slipped through the shadows, her son cradled protectively against her chest. Every step was a calculated risk, every breath a whisper in the darkness, lest the slightest sound betray her presence.

"This way," Damien murmured, his voice barely audible as he led them through the winding corridors of the pack territory.

Elena's heart pounded in her chest, the weight of her decision bearing down upon her like a crushing weight. She was leaving everything behind – her home, her pack, her very identity – all for the sake of her son.

As they neared the edge of...