Daniel’s POV

The night pressed down on me like a curse. The hallways of the pack house were too quiet, too heavy, too filled with whispers that clung to the walls long after mouths had shut. I hated that silence,it carried judgment in it. And tonight, every pair of eyes that looked at me felt like a blade, slicing away at the thin thread of patience I had left.

Elena’s words still rang in my ears, sharp and raw like a wound that refused to heal. She had done it in front of everyone, her fury spitting out my sins for the pack to taste. Betrayal. The word cut deep,...