(Audrey’s POV)

    My eyes grew slightly moist as I stared at Florian.

    Something scratched at the bottom of my heart, a dull pain that wouldn’t subside. The weight of everything I’d been carrying-my spirit sickness, the search for him, those lonely nights in the Sunstone Territories-suddenly felt too heavy to bear alone.

    “No, Florian, these past two years I’ve been-” I started, my voice faltering as I tried to find the courage to reveal everything.

    “Never mind,” he interrupted, shing a shallow smile that didn’t reach his eyes. His golden eyes were bloodshot, reflecting a pain so deep it made my chest ache. “Audrey Winter, I shouldn’t have had any expectations of you.”

    His words struck me like a physical blow. I felt a sharp wound pierce my heart, and I fought desperately to keep the tears from spilling over. I wouldn’t cry in front of him-not now, not when he thought so little of me.

    “You’re right,” I said, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.

    What was the point of exining? In his eyes, l was heartless—a she-wolf who had moved on quickly after his supposed death, findingfort in another wolf’s arms.

    He would never understand the nights I’d spent searchingfor any trace of him, the spirit sickness that had almost destroyed me when I thought he was gone forever.

    Florian chuckled, a raw, angry sound that held no warmth or humor. Without warning, he grabbed my arm, his grip surprisingly strong for someone who’d been injured. He pulled me close, and for a brief moment, I thought he might kiss me.

    Instead, his teeth grazed my lip harshly, a painful bite that drew blood. I winced at the metallic taste filling my mouth but remained still, afraid any sudden movement might hurt his injured legs.

    “This time, I don’t care if you’re Audrey Winter or Lyra Riverwind,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.” Just know that being with anyone else but me is a big mistake!”

    Then, as suddenly as he’d grabbed me, he released me and wheeled his chair away, turning his back on me. The dismissal was clear, final. I touched my bleeding lip gently, the throbbing pain a dull echo of the hurt in my chest. –

    “Leo is still taking a bath,” I reminded him quietly, suddenly remembering our young charge.

    Florian didn’t turn around. “I’m busytely. You take care of him,” he replied dismissively, his voice cold and distant.

    I watched him leave, my heart breaking all over again.

    How had wee to this? Two wolves who once sharedeverything, now unable to even speak honestly with each. other. I tasted blood on my lip, a bitter reminder of how far we’d fallen. The wounds we inflicted on each other ran deeper than any physical injury.

    Part of me wanted to run after him, to force him to hear the truth. But pride and hurt kept me rooted to the spot. If he could think so little of me, then perhaps it was better this way. Let him believe what he wanted.

    The sound of sshing from the bathroom reminded me that I wasn’t alone. Leo needed me, even if Florian didn’t. I wiped away the single tear that had escaped and straightened my shoulders. I would be strong, as I had been throughout these past two years. I had survived I worse than Florian Stormhowl’s rejection.

    (Florian’s POV)

    I wheeled myself back to my dark territory den downstairs, not bothering to turn on the lights. The only illumination came from the faint, silvery starlight filtering through the window, casting long shadows across the floor. Itsuited my mood-dark, turbulent, filled with a storm I couldn’t control.

    Audrey’s perceived indifference consumed me. I had clung to the memory of Serena Shadowcrest-of her-for over twenty years. I had endured the agony of recovery, the excruciating therapy sessions, the humiliation of relearning to walk. And for what?

    She hadn’t even searched for me after severing her bondwith Arthur Moonstone. Instead, she had gone to Nathan Snowfang. The thought of them together made my blood boil, her confession still ringing in my ears like a silver bell of betrayal.

    Did she think so little of me? Was I truly worth so little to her that she could turn to another wolf so easily?

    I mmed my fist against the arm of my wheeled healing chair, frustration and pain churning inside me like a violent whirlpool. All those sacrifices I’d made, the endless hours of torment during treatment-it all felt worthless if she could so easily turn away from me.

    But I had survived. And those responsible-whether for the explosion that nearly killed me or for driving Audrey away years ago-they would pay dearly.

    I clenched my fist, my hand trembling with suppressed rage. I had desperately hoped that with Audrey back, her presence nearby, my fractured sleep and tormented spirit would find some peace, some respite from the nightmares that gued me.

    I was profoundly mistaken.

    My heart ached with a familiar hollowness, an emptiness that no amount of pack power or vengeance could fill. I reached into my pocket, my fingers closing around a small vial of potent spirit-calming elixir that had be a bitter necessity these days.

    The herbal taste burned as it slid down my throat, but  i weed the sensation. Anything to dull the sharp edges of my turbulent emotions, to quiet the howling w?lf inside me that still cried out for her.

    The explosion had taken more than just my physical strength. It had stripped me of hope. I had always thought that when I found her again, everything would fall into ce. We would pick up where we left off, forming the mate bond that had been dyed for far too long. Now t realized how naive l’d been.

    The worst part was knowing she had been here all along, within reach, yet still lost to me. While I struggled through each day, fighting to recover, she had moved on with her life. With another wolf. The thought made my wolf howl with primal rage.

    My pack device buzzed, illuminating the darkness with a harsh glow. Cassandra Stormhowl’s name shed across the screen. I considered ignoring it, but knowing my cousin, she’d only keep calling until l answered.

    “What is it?” I snapped, making no effort to hide my agitation.

    Cassandra, ever perceptive, immediately recognized my dark mood. “Who’s managed to ruffle your fur this time, cousin?” she asked, her toneced with knowing amusement.

    “Who else could it be?” I retorted, unable to keep the weariness from my voice.Unraveling Truths and Bitter Pills

    Cassandra sighed softly. “Audrey, then.”

    She fell silent, which was unusual for her. Typically, by now, she weuld haveunched into a scathingmentary about how I was handling the situation all wrong, how I should stop being so stubborn and just tell Audrey how I felt.

    But tonight, there was only silence.

    “Why aren’t you talking?” I pressed, impatient with her uncharacteristic restraint. “Aren’t you always quick to mock me?”

    “I’m not in the mood today, Florian,” she replied, her usual teasing absent. Something in her voice caught my attention-a seriousness I rarely heard.

    “I have news about what you asked me to look into,” she continued. “I thought I’d tell you first.”

    A flicker of interest cut through my gloom, momentarily pushing aside my brooding over Audrey. “About Luna Riverwind?”

    My mind raced with possibilities. After confronting Audrey in her territory den, I hadpletely forgotten about our investigation into Lyra Riverwind’s sudden appearance as Luna Riverwind’s daughter. What had Cassandra discovered with her extensive high-ranking pack connections?

    The wolf healing herbs I’d taken were beginning to take effect, calming the storm raging inside me enough that A could focus on this new information. Perhaps this was exactly what I needed—a distraction from the pain of Audrey’s rejection, a puzzle to solve that might lead me closer to the truth about the Serena Shadowcrest impostor.

    “Yes,” Cassandra confirmed. “And cousin, you won’t believe what I’ve found.”

    i adjusted my position in the wheeled healing chair, wincing slightly as pain shot through my leg. Despite the difort, my interest was piqued. Cassandra wasn’t easily impressed, so if she thought the information was significant, it probably was.

    “Tell me everything,” I demanded, my voice regaining some of its usualmanding edge. “Leave nothing out.”

    The silvery starlight continued to filter through my window, casting long shadows across the floor. Outside, the territory bustled with activity, wolves going about their lives, unaware of the schemes and secrets that lurked in the shadows. But I was about to shine a light on at least one of those secrets.

    “I’m listening,” I said, my golden eyes glinting in the darkness as I prepared to hear what Cassandra had discovered about Luna Riverwind.