Chapter 26. Please

Tears welled up in my eyes as I read the contents of the letter.

It was truly from my father. I could recognize his handwriting anywhere—the sharp slant of the letters, the heavy pressure of the ink, the familiar rhythm of his words. Seeing it again sent a painful ache through my chest, a reminder of nights spent watching him write by candlelight, of moments when I had believed, foolishly, that his hand could still shape something gentle.

Still, I had not expected to read what he had written.

Worse, the letter was not addressed to me.

It was addressed to the Alpha of the Mooncrest Pack.

The realization crept over me slowly, like ice sinking into my veins. My eyes lifted from the parchment, drifting upward until they landed on the man standing directly in front of me. He was tall, broad-shoulder