Alpha Kael POV

The walk back from the clinic was slower than I wanted. Aria’s steps were careful, her head tipped slightly toward me, like even the weight of the air pressed too hard on her shoulders. I kept my arm at her back, close enough to catch her if she faltered, far enough not to make her feel caged.

By the time we reached the pack house, the scent of herbs and antiseptic still clung to her, mingling with her own, softer scent. I hated it — the reminder that she’d been under someone else’s hands, in someone else’s care, because I hadn’t been fast enough.

The maids were...