Alana's POV
The silence of the estate was heavier than usual, and I welcomed it. After hearing Kael and Daren's conversation, my mind had been spiraling with what-ifs and dangerous hopes. But right now, I needed a breath, a moment to anchor myself. So, I decided to do something I hadn't dared to since pack took over. I went to see if my mother's garden had begun to bloom again.
It was a foolish hope. The garden had withered when she died, just as so many things did. The vibrant herbs she used in her healing, the bright wildflowers she'd taught me to speak to as a child, they all turned brown, as if mourning her. But today, something pulled me there, some thread of memory or grief.
I wrapped a cloak around my shoulders and left the inner chambers, moving quietly past the guards who hardly looked at me anymore. Pack had ensured I was treated like a ghost, seen but not touched. It was both a curse and a blessing.
