Aidan’s POV
I stood outside the kitchen, my gaze fixed on Astrid. Her eyes, that were usually so bright and full of fire, were clouded with hurt. Her face was pale, and her hands were trembling. She seemed to be holding herself together by sheer will alone.
"Astrid, what's wrong?" I asked, brows furrowing. I reached out, my fingers brushing against her arm, but she flinched away from my touch as if it burned. Behind her, I saw two figures frozen behind the kitchen counter. A male and a female, their faces pale with terror. Their shoulders were hunched, and they were shivering, a low, nervous tremor running through their bodies. My gaze hardened, shifting from Astrid to them.
"What's happening here?" I asked, putting two and two together. My wolf was stirring, a low growl forming in the
