I don’t know how long I stayed there.
Time blurred together.
Cade and River had stepped away to move pieces. Decompress where needed.
Cade is handling transport.
River is already working angles with Elizabeth—legal, political, damage control.
Garrett’s voice dragged me back.
I looked up slowly.
He was already crouched in front of me.
Still.
Watching.
Measuring what I’d become in the last few hours.
“You’re Alpha of the Ashwood Pack now.”
The words didn’t just land this time.
They settled.
Heavy. Permanent.
Something inside me shifted.
Of course, there is grief. shock. But there was something sharper.
Garrett didn’t look away. Delivering brutal directness, reality, and honesty.
“That means Korr can challenge you.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
“Pack law.” His voice went
