Elisa didn't leave her apartment for two days. The once comforting walls now felt like a cage.
She stayed curled up beneath her blanket, the curtains drawn tight. The silence inside was oppressive, but it was better than the stares, people moving out of the way anytime she passed them, and the whispers.
No scent.
Not natural.
Cursed.
She was tired of people looking at her like she was dangerous or abnormal
Mira came and went, trying to coax her into walks, meals, anything. But Elisa always smiled faintly, apologized, and said she just needed rest.
Her parents' words still rang in her mind: "The person behind this is someone powerful. "Alpha" echoed relentlessly in her mind, chipping away at her trust, leaving her adrift in a sea of doubt and paranoia. At first, it had made no sense. But now?
Now, her thoughts spiraled.
Had it all been orchestrated? Her running into Cael, moving here, her placement in this pack—it all felt too perfect. Too convenient.
