Chapter 77: The Spiritual Bond

**Maxine’s Point of View** Thelma Zane, my other half, was undeniably a fool. There’s an old saying that love makes people lose their senses, and Thelma embodied that truth completely. One moment, she was contemplating the immense responsibility of being a princess, a leader of the werewolves. The next moment, she was willing to risk her own well-being for her beloved, Aldrich. The transformation was both astonishing and frustrating. The influence of love on her was profound, and perhaps, I realized, she had always been a sensitive and impulsive person. Aldrich, for his part, hadn’t anticipated things taking such a drastic turn. Now, he stood before me, visibly distressed, his hands running anxiously through his hair. “I’m not upset because she hid her identity from me,” he confessed, his voice strained with remorse. “I should never have pressured her with my questions. If I hadn’t asked, she wouldn’t have felt the need to prove herself this way.” His eyes met mine, filled