ALICE POV
I was becoming a pro at avoidance, though I wouldn’t recommend it as a career path. By the time noon hit, I was exhausted—not physically, but mentally. Dodging people was a full-time job, and today, I was putting in serious overtime. I had managed to avoid Luna Angela, my brother, my mate, and practically every soul in the pack house. Each time I saw a familiar face, I’d pivot, dive into some hidden hallway, or slip out the nearest door. The library became my sanctuary, where I could pretend to be absorbed in ancient texts that no one dared disturb me from. But even there, I couldn’t escape the rising nerves twisting my stomach into knots.
Every moment I was on edge, waiting for someone to notice, to call me out.
I ran through the forest at one point, letting the towering tree
