Crosb

ayed in the armchair all night. A small, meaningless gesture of restraint that di

aden with a perfectly crafted expression of surprise a

His face was etched with fatigue, but

urst of energy. "With you here, I'm not afraid of anyt

and numb. I knew

ason. He walked out onto the balcony to take the call, his voi

le facade vanished. Her expression bec

phone. I drifted

see her screen perfectly. She had no

someone named "F

d. He stayed all night. Alanna'

They were in this together. My death was

all. Caden, the money, the status... it was always m

a." My mother. Why was Bonita texting my mother? I drifted closer, reading over her shoulder. The reply came fast: "Good. You

her speak to her like a daughter-when she

o gallery. It was filled with pictures of her and C

on the sofa in his office, and Bonita was lean

stomach ailment, doubled over in pain. I had brought him a soothing broth I'd

ccupying his most private spaces

sparse, professional. But in his short list of

been assigned to the janitorial staff. Did Caden

enduring the taunts of my supervisor. Meanwhile, my fated m

h, the decorations I designed for Pack festivals-all of it wa

ver me. I hadn't been giving my love fr

immediately put her phone away, her innoce

aid, her voice a playful p

ver you want." He grabbed hi

he wolf spirit of the woman whose place she had stolen,

I had no interest in

y work, my dreams, my very soul. They were locked in my old locker in the janitorial

ely, before I was utterly forgotten, I had to lay m