***VERA***

My wolf stirred restlessly under my skin, hot and uneasy. Catalina’s words had landed wrong—sharp and heavy, pressing down on me until I could barely breathe. I wrapped my arms around myself the moment she left, palms running up and down my sides, a weak attempt to calm the tremor crawling under my skin.

The weight of everything happening around me felt unbearable. My legs gave out, and I stumbled into my room, collapsing into the chair. I buried my head between my knees, ...