After Iva left, Lori sat alone in her small dorm room, the silence pressing in around her.
She stared at the closed door, her mind drifting back to the moment she had tried so hard to forget.
The moment she met the Scotts.
---
It had been during Iva's crowning ceremony.
The grand hall had been filled with nobles and dignitaries, their jewels glittering under the chandeliers, their voices a constant hum of polite conversation. Lori had been nervous enough just being there—surrounded by wolves who outranked her, who looked at her like she was a curiosity rather than a guest.
Then Attia had taken her hand and led her toward his family.
And everything had gone wrong.
The Scott family was gathered in a small alcove near the back of the hall, their posture rigid, their expressions carefu
