I couldn't just go back to my empty quarters and wait. Sitting in a quiet room with nothing to do but stare at the clock and wonder if the elixir was bonding with Liz’s cells would have driven me completely insane.
I needed to move. I needed a distraction.
I ended up down in the bustling pack market, the cool morning air carrying the familiar scents of fresh baked bread, crushed herbs, and roasting meats. Merchants called out greetings, children darted between wooden stalls, and members of the pack bowed or offered warm, cheerful smiles as I passed. I smiled back and offered polite greetings of my own, but as the minutes dragged on, I could feel how forced and hollow my own expression was. My mind wasn't here. It was trapped in a small house across the territory, obsessing over two milli
