Chapter 6. I’ve Always Had a Family

Athena

“Come on,” Tristan says gently, “Let me show you what we’ve built.”

The words hang in the air between us, loaded with meaning I’m not sure I’m ready to unpack. But I follow him anyway, my feet moving almost of their own accord as we step deeper into the garage.

As we walk through the garage, I’m overwhelmed by the scale of it. Twenty bays stretch out before us, each one equipped with the latest technology.

The familiar scent of motor oil and metal shavings floods my nostrils, but it’s different now… cleaner, more sophisticated.

Wolves in navy coveralls move with practiced efficiency, their movements coordinated like dancers who’ve performed the same routine a thousand times. The place thrums with productive energy, and I can feel my wolf stirring restlessly beneath my skin.

‘This is pack,’ she whispers, her voice filled with a longing I’ve been trying to ignore for five years. ‘This is what pack looks like when