Chapter 59

Tatiana sat alone under the moon’s pale light outside the pack house, her back resting against the trunk of an old oak tree. The forest’s shadows seemed to stretch around her, like silent witnesses to her grief. She was used to this feeling now—the hollowness that had followed her everywhere since Luca’s death, like a wound that refused to heal.

Luca would have loved to see Duncan and Sadie have a son. He loved them as a couple and always said that Sadie was just what Duncan needed. He would have been a perfect uncle.

She felt more alone than ever, even surrounded by family. For weeks, she’d kept her pain locked away within her walls. She’d led, she’d fought, she’d strategized, but she hadn’t allowed herself to feel. Not truly. She couldn’t afford to. Not when Luca’s absence was a constant ache that haunted every corner of her heart.

But tonight, everything felt too heavy. The weight of all her unshed tears pressed down on her chest until she could hardly breathe.