I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling with dry, swollen eyes. The tears had finally stopped, but the pain remained. My body still remembered Kylian’s touch from last night. The guilt sat heavy in my chest like a stone. In moments like this, when the loneliness felt too much, my mind always ran back to Chase.
I closed my eyes and let the memories come.
It was three months ago at a neutral party held between several packs. The location was an old hall near the border lands, decorated with lights and flowers. No fighting was allowed. Everyone came to talk, trade, and pretend to be friendly for one night.
I had not wanted to go, but my father insisted. “You need to show your face, Rachel. Be the perfect daughter.”
I wore a simple blue dress and stayed near the wall, watching people danc
