Modric’s POV
The road to Velvera’s cottage was familiar enough that I could have driven it with my eyes closed.
For years, it had been the place I escaped to whenever the pack house became too loud, whenever my father demanded too much, whenever being Alpha felt like a chain around my throat. Velvera always opened the door before I knocked. She knew the sound of my truck, the weight of my footsteps, and the kind of silence that meant I did not want questions.
Tonight, I wanted the familiarity.
I needed it.
The peaceful moment in Mary Ann’s room still followed me. Her laughter. The warmth in her eyes before my phone interrupted us. The soft way she had asked whether I was jealous, knowing perfectly well that I was.
I had left because staying felt dangerous.
Velvera opened the door be
