Jaxen POV
I went straight to the wine cellar when I got home.
The second I sat down, the weight in my chest got worse.
Like I was hanging in midair, couldn’t climb back up, couldn’t drop all the way down. Just stuck.
I’d gone to see Scarlett that evening.
She shut the apology down cold.
Money didn’t move her.
When I asked what the hell she actually wanted, she told me to get as far away from her as possible.
The way she looked at me… like she wished I’d just vanish off the face of the earth.
She’s built walls so high I can’t even get close without her flinching.
One step too near and she’s done.
My wolf started whimpering in the back of my skull, low, broken, pacing in tight circles.
I poured three fingers of the strongest whiskey I had and knocked them back.
The bur
