_Alyssa's POV_
I walked quickly through the forest, the crunch of leaves and twigs under my boots the only sound in the still air. My heart was still racing from the encounter at the packhouse, the rejection echoing in my mind. They wouldn’t even let me see Logan. I wasn’t their Luna anymore—Logan’s Luna. The thought twisted like a knife in my chest, but I pushed it down. I had more important things to focus on. The pack needed to be protected whether they welcomed me or not.
As the trees thinned, I could see the narrow road that led to the small street where the old woman lived. She wasn’t far now. The quiet of the forest was replaced by the distant sounds of cars and people, though her little home was tucked away from the bustle of the main town. I reached her house and paused at the d
