12#12

12

Kade's Perspective

I jerked the car into the packhouse driveway, tires squealing. My wolf was on edge, his discomfort mirroring my own. I mentally silenced him with a stern warning. For three days, I'd endured Lila's constant complaints, clinginess, and reminders of her pregnancy - a fact she wielded like a weapon.

"I'll stay here," Lila announced, arms crossed over her belly in an exaggerated manner. "I need to speak with the Omega about the meeting we skipped anyway."

"Sure, do that," I replied curtly, exiting the car without a glance. As I bounded up the steps, I thought, 'At least she's acting like my Beta.'

An eerie silence enveloped the house. No soft sounds of Freya moving about, no soothing aroma of lavender and wild roses. Anxiety gripped my chest.

"Freya?" I called out, my voice echoing ominously through the corridors.

Silence answered me.

I inhaled deeply, searching for her scent. It was barely there, almost gone. My wolf growled softly in my mind, unsettled.