I didn’t know how to feel after seeing Ron’s expression. As much as I was relieved to see Maron again, something felt off. She didn’t return my hug. The Ma I knew would’ve clung to me, crying and smiling all at once—not standing stiff like a stranger.
And what was she even doing here?
She should have no access to the Awoke Pack. My thoughts raced, connecting dots I didn’t want to acknowledge—until one image flashed in my mind:
The masked woman.
The one who’d come with Ron.
My breath caught.
No.
But before I could utter a word, Julian’s voice rang through the air.
“What are you doing, Rex?”
I turned toward him, momentarily distracted.
When I looked back—
She was gone.
Just like that.
Gone, like she hadn’t been standing there a second ago.
I whipped around, scanning the area. R
