her bones aching with exhaustion.

oration with the king, the business trip to

on and persuasion. Contracts that had stalled for months were finalized within days. Conversations shifted when she ent

ecure every remaining contract, to finalize her divorce as soon as possible. It had felt

ome, the emptiness a reminder

broken his promise to go meet Ivy-nor

adio silence

g used to living without him. Even the house no lon

uld have felt the ache in her chest, woul

determined to finally sta

celet once more. In the short time s

her, heading for the one

bedr

negotiations, and travel

st. Just f

he bracelet cool against her

*

in a way that made the ha

!" A woman

to get away from there, but the scene

closer, grabbing the woma

oo slow, her limbs were

d her lips-r

blood. Too

ds, the ground, t

all gone wrong replayed in her head. She heard her moth

lpless whisper. She sobbed, s

e but in the end, all she could do was lie

drain from her green e

ther, pain clawing at her chest. I

from her side eye but she d

er back hitting the wall. The pai

ere-gasping for air, struggling to b

ps were slo

ian orbs ca

face twisted into a sneer and in that m

her to get up, to leave b

uched

groping, squeezing as helples

ng, hearing it all again, smelling it

selves, making it harder to

o

er, worn from everything that

going to

ed, hot an

She sc

oze, her eyes snapping open. "It's o

hat she didn't feel the callous hands anymore, didn't feel the hard

comfort, craving relief fr

ught a

called her. Her wolf stirred, awake

're

ieved t

reach that familiar spot she felt. Her fi

close, s

eyes snap

, sitting

mory-the day her life had ended.

est ti

pain that never really went away. But this ti

hen she looked down, the bracelet

r to study. It didn't feel da

t comf

into it sub

, only one thought r

ad he

dream who had

it wasn

y had her body respo

d, dragging her

ala

o quiet, too still-until reality settled back into place. The manor bedroom. The pale afternoon light filterin

kily and glance

Session

cou

ody felt heavy, as though the dream had taken something from her and not given it

're

d the tho

pack it later. Right now,

*

. Eleanor reassured. "It takes time, yea

e therapy session. Her eyes were fixed on

pist, she sometimes wished she

woman with strawberry blond

re currently tryin

saw, it has to

yes immediately darti

oughts slipping back to her dream. "I'

d," Eleanor responded gently. "Only

ords could leave her mouth. Nothing she'd

ould focus on that. In times like this, when you

d caught up. Her eyes immediate

enough time around the girl in

ou two?" Eleanor asked, he

ly how she'd been feeling, how her husband's actions had hurt he

defend Adrian, or c

energy to hear that. So she f

le widened-practiced. "

ghtly, her eyes squinted,

say his name

, waving her hand i

e argument this afternoon. He wanted me to spend more

mmed, still stud

sessive Alphas ca

ttled back in her seat,

ke your time, don't forc

her feet. The therapy session alw

the room feeling lighter, as if speaking her pain

e Eleanor" she w

the door softly. She stepped out into the corrido

when she

the VIP therapy room down the

he recognize

ri

partially closed door, stirring something sharp and unwelcome

eet refus

he realized-whatever was happening in that roo

about to

heart pounding,

heard made her he

paused. "She