Chapter 117

Aubrey's POV The walk back from Lena's house was silent, both of us lost in our own thoughts. The weight of seeing my mother and learning about my silver wolf heritage sat heavy on my shoulders—not entirely a burden, but a profound responsibility I was still coming to terms with. Knox respected my silence, his presence beside me steady and unwavering as always. My mind kept returning to the image of my mother's preserved form—so peaceful, as if merely sleeping. For years, I had imagined her body abandoned and desecrated, left to the elements in our former territory. Knowing that she'd been treated with dignity, protected and preserved in a sacred space, brought an unexpected measure of peace, even as it reopened wounds I thought had long since scarred over. "What are you thinking?" Knox asked softly as we crossed the meadow that separated Lena's cottage from the main pack grounds. The setting sun bathed everything in golden light, turning the grass to rippling amber and setting Knox's