I didn't remember leaving the corridor. One moment I had been standing outside the office and the next I was walking.
Just walking past people, past hallways, past everything without looking at anything. My mind replayed the same words over and over again.
She carried royal blood.
Royal blood of what?
The sentence felt absurd, like something from another person's life.
Not mine. Could not be mine.
My feet eventually carried me beyond the pack walls.
Nobody stopped me. I was grateful for that. Most guards recognized me now and knew who I was.
The Alpha's mate.
The title still felt strange and uncomfortable. Especially now.
I walked until the sounds from the pack disappeared. Until the voices faded. Until all I could hear was the wind moving through the trees.
Only then did I stop. A large stone sat beside a stream. I lowered myself onto it and stared at the water for a long time.
