Chapter 16. Aftersound

ARDEN

“What?” Tessa exclaimed, shock seen in her eyes. She acted like I had just uttered some unspeakable horror.

In this day and age, it was downright absurd to think there was a werewolf without a phone. We had fully embraced the human culture, and in this country, we even had to deal with the mischief of Tablet Pups.

“Well,” I hesitated, choosing my words carefully, “let’s just say my mom is a little controlling?”

Tessa pursed her lips thoughtfully, then began rummaging through her bag. Moments later, she took out a worn-out phone and tossed it to me casually.

“It’s my old phone,” she said. “But just a heads-up—it has a mind of its own.”

I stared at her, my eyes wide with disbelief. “This is way too much, Tessa. Are you sure—”

Without letting me finish, she waved me off dismissively. “You’re actually doing me a favor by taking it,” she insisted. “I’ve wiped all the previous data, so you can start fresh right away. Trust me, this is a good