Elle’s POV
We didn’t go straight back to the room.
Ethan took my hand and led me behind the guest wing. There was a narrow path that most people probably didn’t use much. Trees lined both sides, and their branches hung low, almost touching us as we walked. The air felt cooler there, quiet, as if the pack house noises couldn’t reach this part.
Ethan’s hand rested gently on the small of my back. He didn’t say anything, but his touch was enough. It made me feel steady, like I wasn’t about to fall apart. I didn’t even know I needed that until we were deep into the woods and my heartbeat started to slow down.
That’s when the memories started coming back.
Everywhere I looked, something reminded me of the past. The stone path where I used to sit with my dad and watch the warriors train. The
