Chapter 20

Kieran’s POV

I heard the door creak open. It was the same sound Elara made whenever she came back after training. I’d gotten used to it by now—her quiet, steady footsteps, the soft shuffle of her clothes, the small sigh she always let out when she entered the packhouse. It was a familiar sound, one that told me she was back.

I didn’t think much of it at first. She was just settling back in after training, probably needing some time to herself. The minutes passed, and I got back to work, my thoughts on the pack, on the tasks at hand. Time slipped by—an hour, maybe two.

But then, the door creaked open again, much later than usual. This time, she was leaving.

I didn’t even hear her footsteps anymore. The packhouse was eerily quiet. I glanced up at the clock—an hour and a half had passed since I’d last heard her. My heart skipped a beat. Something wasn’t right.

The weight of silence in the house was suffocating. My mind, usually calm, now swirled wit