Chapter 53. A Quiet Life

Ally's POV

My heart races as I thrust the folder into Elliot's hands, the files crinkling between his strong fingers. The weight of my decision to trust him with this knowledge is tangible. His eyebrows arch, a silent question etched in the lines on his forehead.

"Ally, why...?" he starts, but his voice trails off, and I can hear the surprise in his tone, the disbelief that I, of all people, would come to him after everything.

I shrug, my shoulders feeling like they're carrying boulders instead of bones. "It's your right to know," I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. My wolf, Dawn, stirs within me, her unease mirroring my own.

The room feels smaller, the walls pressing in as Elliot flips through the pages, his eyes scanning the damning evidence of treachery that could dethrone a king- or crown another. It's not just paper and ink; it's a weapon, and I've just handed it to him.

"Thank you,