Her grandfather had made her promise to come back again. Celia had hesitated, but he cupped her face in his warm, weathered hands and insisted she would be safe with Lucas and Alpha Jake. Then he made her pinky promise like she was five years old, smiling at her through glassy eyes until she finally hooked her finger with his.
Now she sat in the passenger seat of Marcus’s car, her stomach twisting into tight, painful knots as Lucas turned down the familiar lane leading into Gray Rock. The ride felt bumpier than she remembered. She slid her trembling hands beneath her thighs, trying to hide how much they shook. Ahead of them, the SUV Landon was driving bounced over the rutted dirt road. Aurelia’s bright hair flashed through the rear window when the sun hit it. Darcy and Kiernan were silhou
