Chapter 63

Alaria

The drive was quiet, not tense, but weighted. When we pulled into the lot, the school sat neatly at the end of a small lane, its white walls bright against the morning sun. The sound of children’s voices carried across the open yard.

Underneath it, something else caught my attention.

A scent. Wolf. Not mine. Masked well, but still there. My instincts sharpened instantly, my wolf pushing forward, but I kept my expression neutral. I didn’t tell Alaria. Not yet.

I didn’t want to ruin the moment, and the fact that she was barely willing to allow me to engage was something that I didn’t want to screw up. Not now.

“You remember what mama told you, right?” Alaria asked, looking at Anastasia through the rear mirror.

“Yes, mama. I am not going to fight with anyone, and if anything happens, I go and talk to the teacher. If I can’t get the teacher to help me, I go and talk to the principal to call you.” She said, and Alaria smiled and nodded.