But he didn’t.
Stan only stared at me like he felt every word in his bones. Like he wasn’t even trying to save himself—because he didn’t believe he deserved saving.
And the worst part?
I didn’t know if he did either.
But Goddess, my soul ached for him.
“No clever excuses?” I asked bitterly. “No lies, like your Alpha?”
Stan exhaled slowly, like he’d been holding his breath since the day he’d been born.
“No lies. Just truth,” he whispered.
I folded my arms across my chest, chin lifted like a blade.
“Go on then,” I growled. “Tell your truth. And I’ll tell you mine.”
Stan’s eyes flickered—something raw, uncertain, shifting behind the shame. He looked around, at the wolves on the ground, then at Kendrick’s hand still hovering near his neck.
Then back at me.
He swallowed hard. “We we
