LILY
The courthouse loomed before us like a monument to everything I was trying to escape.
My hands trembled in my lap as Ace pulled into a parking space. The engine ticked as it cooled, but I couldn't seem to move. Couldn't seem to breathe.
"Hey." Ace's voice was gentle. "Look at me."
I turned to face him, my vision blurry with unshed tears.
"You don't have to do this," he said. "We can turn around right now. Drive back home and pretend none of this happened."
Home. He'd called the pack house home. The word wrapped around my heart like a warm blanket.
"No," I whispered. "I need to do this. I need to be free."
Ace reached over and took my hand in both of his. His warmth steadied me, grounded me.
"Then we'll do this together," he said. "But the moment you want to leave, we leave. N
