Even though I wasn't physically there, the pack bond made distance meaningless. The moment Hayley spoke, her emotions traveled straight through the invisible thread connecting us, seeping into my chest like cold smoke. I sat frozen, fingers clenched, as every carefully chosen word she fed Elliot echoed in my mind.
"I really don't know," Hayley said slowly, her voice fragile on purpose. "After that day, Anastasia went abroad. We lost contact."
Lost contact.
The words scraped against my nerves. As if I had simply chosen to disappear. As if I hadn't been forced to run, forced to bury myself somewhere no one could sense my scent, just to survive the aftermath. My wolf stirred uneasily, pacing in tight circles, instinctively recognizing danger even now.
