A tear slid down her cheek as she confessed, "I left you, Asher. I left Aria. I left everything."
Asher’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing, his quiet support urging her to continue.
"I waited until you were asleep," Bella admitted, her voice cracking. "I slipped out of bed, went outside, and shifted. The moment I was in my wolf form, Banja took over completely. It was like I was a passenger in my own body. I couldn’t stop her. We sneaked out of the pack, evaded the patrols, and crossed the border.
"Once we were beyond the pack’s territory, Banja ran like a creature possessed. Unhinged. Wild. I begged her to tell me where we were going, but she only kept saying the same thing: ‘We are following the connection.’ I had no idea what it meant, but I knew it wasn’t good."
Bella shuddered, h
