I shook my head. “How could I? Knowing that my presence here is putting the entire pack in danger…”
She sighed, her expression gentle yet firm. “I could tell you it’s not that serious, but I understand how you feel. It does seem like it’s just one thing after another.” She held out a steaming mug. “Here, have some tea. It’ll help settle your nerves.”
“Thank you,” I said, accepting the mug. The warmth seeped into my hands as I took a small sip. The tea burned my lips slightly, but its familiar taste was comforting.
“Ella,” my mother said, her voice steady and reassuring, “everything is going to be okay.”
“I want to believe that,” I admitted with a heavy sigh, staring into the mug. “But things feel so complicated right now.”
She straightened, her tone turning stern yet en
