Chapter 46

The atmosphere at Kaden’s estate was tense after Cassandra and Chloe’s uninvited visit the day before. The pack whispered among themselves, the rumors of their arrival spreading quickly. Althea tried to ignore the stares, the curious glances that followed her as she moved through the halls, but it was impossible to block out the weight of their judgment. She hadn’t slept much. The letter, the cryptic words Cassandra had read aloud, had haunted her all night. Her mother: her anchor, her beacon of strength,was now wrapped in layers of doubt and mystery. Kaden had tried to reassure her before she retreated to her room, but even his steady presence hadn’t been enough to quiet the storm in her mind. Now, as she walked toward the library for a moment of quiet, she felt the weight of everything pressing down on her chest. The words from the letter echoed in her mind: Mistakes. Consequences. Secrets. What could it all mean? The sound of laughter pulled Althea from her thoughts. She froze in th