I watched Kaelen from across the dinner table, studying his face for clues about what he wasn't telling me. Despite his outward composure—that perfect headmaster poise he could summon at will—I noticed the slight tightness around his eyes and the way his gaze occasionally drifted to the window, as if calculating distances and dangers.
"More chicken, Mr. Vance?" my mother asked, offering the serving plate.
"Please, call me Kaelen," he replied smoothly, accepting another helping with a polite smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "And thank you. It's delicious."
My wolf paced anxiously inside me. Something was off. I could sense it through our bond—a heaviness, a burden he was carrying alone.
"So," Willow said, breaking the slightly awkward silence that had fallen, "how exactly did you find Hazel? She told me the communications were... difficult."
Kaelen's eyes met mine briefly. "Let's just say I have certain skills that made tracking her possible."