Side Story 4.97 - Not Broken

Johanis' POV

Saying goodbye wasn’t supposed to be hard.

And it shouldn’t have been, considering all our houses were literally minutes apart if you shifted and sprinted. Same pack. Same hunting grounds. Same moon cycles.

But standing there in the clearing with Brinn, Sari, and Aya—just before we all peeled off into separate trails home—it still hit me harder than expected.

Because even if we’d see each other tomorrow, or later that night while sneaking out (please do not tell our parents), it wouldn’t be this. Not the same group. Not the same way. Not after everything we went through.

Sari gave my shoulder a quick slap. “Try not to get too sentimental, young master.”

I groaned. “Why does no one let that title die?”

“Becau