Cierra:
I opened Dominic’s door, my fingers brushing the edge like a lifeline I wasn’t sure I deserved. He was standing there, his dark eyes steady but laced with worry, and his usual calm posture fraying at the edges.
Before I could speak, a sharp, urgent voice cut through hallway.
“Cierra, wait!”
Dane. His words landed like fire against my ribs. He stepped forward, hands raised, blocking me. “You can’t just—don’t—”
“I need to—” I tried to move past him, the heat in my chest coiling, twisting like the wolf inside me that wanted to strike, scream, and break something.
“You can’t run from this,” Dane said, voice rising with desperation. “Not from me, not from him, not from the truth. You don’t get to walk away from what’s yours.”
Dominic’s hand brushed lightly against my arm, gentle,
