Chapter 6. Pain and Anger

A delicate wave of fragrance—sweet, floral lilacs mingled with the soft incandescence of moonlight—swept over me, each molecule of her essence enveloping my senses. It felt as though the air around me had transformed into a living tapestry of scent and light, threaded through with her presence. I stood rooted in that luminous haze, my heart pounding, and managed to croak, “Elizabeth? What are you doing here?”

She froze, equally stunned, her mossy green eyes wide with surprise. Tiny flecks of gold spun restlessly in their depths, betraying the conflict roiling within her. Her breath hitched. “I—I was working early today… I have to go into town,” she managed, her voice faltering as she let her gaze drop to the wooden floorboards. A gentle tremor quivered her lower lip. Even here, vulnerable and off guard, she was achingly beautiful.

Behind my eyes, my Wolf stirred, pacing the corridors of my mind. His primal instinct screamed to move forward, to comfort her, to wrap her in