Josie
I couldn't help the sharp curl of curiosity unfurling inside me like smoke. Someone had asked to see me.
Me.
Not the triplets. Not the Alpha council. Not one of the warriors or elders. Me.
But the more I turned the thought over in my head, the less it made sense. Everyone who had ever been tied to me by blood was long gone—scattered, buried, and left to fade into dust with the parts of my past I refused to dig up again. The idea that anyone would come specifically for me didn't sit comfortably in my chest. In fact, it made something cold and restless press against my ribs.
Varen's touch brought me back before my thoughts could spiral further. His hand brushed my arm—warm, firm, grounding in the way only he could be. The contact was small, but it carried weight.
"You've got nothing to worry about," he murmured, his voice pitched so low that only I could hear it. "I've got you."
