#Chapter 60: Through the Thicket

Lauren As we walked back toward the house, Alexander stopped to talk to a few members. The night air clung to me, heavy and electric, as the pack began to scatter into the shadows of the trees. The field still smelled of blood, but at least the fight had stopped, for now. I stood on the edge of the clearing, heart pounding as I caught sight of Liam retreating toward the forest’s edge. My chest tightened. I couldn’t let him leave like this. Not without saying something. Not without trying to figure out what he meant the other day. “Liam!” I called, my voice slicing through the murmurs of departing wolves. He froze, his broad shoulders tensing before he turned to face me. His eyes, those piercing pools of amber, met mine with a mixture of pain and defiance. “If it isn’t our Luna. What do you want, Lauren?” His tone was sharp, but beneath it, I could hear a click of his humor. I closed the distance between us, the soft crunch of leaves underfoot filling the silence. “We need t