Chapter 30

The night was quiet, but for Althea, the silence didn’t feel peaceful. It felt heavy. The estate was still, with most of the pack settling into their routines or heading to bed, but sleep was the last thing on her mind. She sat on the edge of her bed, staring out the window at the moonlit garden below. Her thoughts were a tangled mess, and no matter how hard she tried to calm them, they only grew louder. Elliot's words from earlier still echoed in her mind, sharp and cruel, digging into her insecurities like claws. He only claimed you because he had to. You’re not what the pack needs. Her chest tightened as she hugged her knees to her chest, the cool night air brushing against her skin. She wanted to push the doubts away, to tell herself they weren’t true, but the more she tried, the more they seemed to stick. And it wasn’t just Elliot. The pack’s whispers, Bianca’s pointed stares, the constant feeling of not being enough. it was all too much. Althea rubbed her hands over her face, let