Chapter 85

KNOX'S POV I traced lazy circles on Aubrey's bare shoulder as she nestled against my chest, her honey-blonde hair spilling across my skin like liquid gold in the late afternoon light. The bedroom was quiet except for our steady breathing and the gentle rustle of cotton sheets. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of our master suite, the forest stretched endlessly, its dense canopy painted in rich shades of emerald and jade. It was moments like these that made me forget about everything else—the pack politics, the brewing tensions, the dark secrets I was keeping from her. Aubrey shifted in my arms, tilting her face up to meet mine. Her hazel eyes were still heavy with contentment, but there was something else there too—a hint of worry that made my chest tighten. I knew that look. It was the same one she got when she'd been overthinking something. "What's on your mind?" I asked, running my fingers through her silky hair. The silver ring on my left hand caught the sunlight, a constant re