AMANDA'S POV
I woke early the next morning—partly because I'd grown used to dragging myself to the Alpha mansion before dawn, and partly because the echoes of yesterday still clung to my skin like a fever I couldn't shake.
When I crept out of my room, a faint glow was already spilling from the kitchen. I found Mom standing at the stove, a spatula in her hand, her hair still loose from sleep.
"I know you have to go to the Alpha mansion," she said without turning around, her voice soft. "But that doesn't mean you should keep skipping breakfast."
"Mom…"
She turned then, and her smile was so gentle it made my chest ache. "I can't take any of this off your shoulders, sweetheart. But I can at least feed my daughter before she faces the day."
"You should be resting."
"I wil
