Chapter 149

Alyssa POV

King’s expression hardens as he stares at the woman who tripped in front of us, his entire body going rigid, as if frozen in place.

I don’t have to ask to know who she is: his mother. They share the same nose, the same sharp, assessing eyes, though hers are dulled by time and whatever damage she’s done to herself. I can almost picture what she looked like before addiction stripped her of everything.

She’s dressed in faded blue jeans and a red tank top, the fabric hanging loosely off her thin frame. There’s an unease in the way she moves, her fingers twitching like they don’t know how to be still. A thin sheen of sweat clings to her skin despite the crisp fall air, her lips pressing together before her tongue darts out—like she’s suppressing something, whether it’s nerves, withdrawal, or both.

“Kaiden, is that really you?” she asks, her words trembling with disbelief.

King’s expression stays flat, unreadable. “Who else would it be, Jole