River took a shaky breath and let it out slowly, whispering into the silence:
“Whatever I am… I won’t run from it anymore.”
There was no going back now. The truth was out there, tangled with the mystery of her blood, her wolf, …. But she would face it. One step at a time.
Just then, the door creaked open softly, and Heiko stepped inside.
He paused when he saw her at the window, his sharp eyes immediately scanning her face.
“You're awake.”
She nodded, offering a faint smile. “I needed a moment.”
He walked over, slow but sure, and reached for her hand.
“I figured. That’s why I gave you space.”
His voice was soft—quieter than usual.
She turned to him fully, and the weight of everything she’d been holding back began to spill in the form of tears she didn’t even realize she’d been hol
