ira'

my bedroom, a place filled with personal history and comfort. Yet, the furniture, the decor-the very essence of the space-felt foreign, like I

che

gnawed at me: I had no idea who Michelle was, how she lived, or how I was expected to be her. I had to wear t

oor snapped me out of

voice floated through the wooden barrier. Kathleen. She

hesitation. It was strange hearing myself speak as if o

d. She made her way over to the bed, sitting down next to me with a tenderness that should

hing, each word carefully measured. "Your dad and I, we jus

pulse quicken. *For all of us*, she had said, but something w

myself. My nerves were raw, and every

he quickly tried to mask. "It's nothing, really. I just

hat unsettled me. Why were they so eager for me to recover quic

ked, my suspicion cr

es remained. She gave my hand one final squeeze before standing up,

he bed, but sleep refused to come. Her words echoed in my mind like an unsolve

d clear my head, or so I hoped. As I crept down the staircase, the sound of hushed voices reached my ears.

rop, but then I heard it. M

ve with Alpha Magnus," Kathleen

mination. "Do you know how much time, energy, and e

ill down my spine. What opportu

are about any of that. I'm just tha

lowed by Matthew's yaw

ed more questions than answers, and the cryptic tone in their voices only made me more anxious. My heart pounde

ing but peaceful. I woke the next day feeling more disoriente

my head, I couldn't help but admire her sense of style. I pulled on a pair of blue Tommy jeans, a w

us. I didn't linger, heading toward the kitchen instead, where I heard a clatter. Ka

greeted softly,

artled. "Oh! Good morning,

ough it was far from

ckly, her smile not q

t?" I offered, more out o

ted. "No, darli

y, reaching out to take o

in silence, but I could feel her eyes on me. When I glanced up, I no

asked, concern cre

in my eye," she said, but

onger before deciding to pre

," I quickly changed the question,

clearly uncomfortable. "He even

ad become unbearable. Kathleen found a convenient

st, but the unease gnawed at me. Something was wro

it was empty. The same went for the

ast was ready. But when I heard their voices inside, I stopped, pressing m