|| Lilac’s POV ||

The drive to the Blood Moon Pack was tense, the silence in the car thick with unspoken words. Marcus sat in the driver's seat, his hands gripping the wheel tightly, his expression unreadable. I stared out the window, my mind a whirlwind of emotions. The closer we got, the heavier the weight in my chest became. I furrowed my brow as Marcus drove past Alaric's house, the familiar structure fading into the distance.

"He doesn't live there anymore," Marcus said, ...