Lila felt it before anyone told her.
The bond shifted.
Not snapped.
Not broken.
Bent.
It happened in the quietest way possible, which somehow made it worse.
She was standing near the outer den, hands resting over the gentle curve of her belly, listening to the low murmur of voices inside when the warmth she had come to rely on faltered. The steady, grounding pull of Caleb’s presence dimmed, replaced by something sharp and unfamiliar.
Guilt.
Need.
A door closed somewhere in the territory.
And the bond tightened painfully around her chest.
Lila inhaled slowly, steadying herself. Wolves passed nearby, their scents overlapping, but one cut through everything else like a blade.
Seren.
And Caleb.
Together.
Her fingers curled into the fabric of her dress.
She didn’t move.
She did
