Chapter 207

** Ryder’s POV ** I never thought I’d see these roads again. Not in this lifetime. Not in any life. The tyres hum steadily beneath us, carrying us straight into the past I thought I’d buried. Old scars itch under my skin. Wolves don’t get phantom pain, not really, but I swear I feel it now. Memories I boxed up years ago rattle loose with every passing mile. Paige must feel the shift in me, because her fingers slip into mine the moment we turn off the motorway. I don’t look at her at first. I can’t. If I do, I’m going to fall apart in ways I don’t have time for. “Talk to me,” she whispers, squeezing gently. I exhale long and slow, letting some of the tension bleed out. “I didn’t think I’d ever come back here.” She tilts her head slightly with a sad smile. “I prayed every day that you would.” I nod. “The last time I was on these roads, I had just turned eighteen and my wolf was out of control. I ran, and I didn’t look back.” Her thumb strokes the back of my hand, grounding me. “Everythin