Adeline POV
The night hum of the lab had always soothed me. It was a rhythm of machines that never judged or never shouted. But that peace shattered when the door slammed open.
Evelyn stood there, damp, so furious
“Why didn’t you accept his proposal?” she hissed. “We could have poisoned him—finished what he started!”
“You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I do! He murdered our people and you let him walk away!”
I gripped the desk.
“And what—attack him with guards behind him? Use magic in a human hospital and expose everything?”
Her laugh was hollow. “Excuses.”
“Excuses keep us alive,” I said, low and sharp. “You think I’ve forgotten what he did? Every time I close my eyes, I see our pack burning. But revenge without power is suicide.”
Evelyn’s hands curled into fists. “You’re sti
