The Weight of Silence

VANESSA

The steady hum of the car engine was the only sound breaking the deafening silence between us. For four hours, Roman and I had been trapped in this metal box, the tension so thick it felt like another passenger. The revelation of our soul-binding—something even deeper than fated mates—hung in the air, unaddressed and suffocating.

I stared out the window, watching mountains rise on the horizon. The Alpha Council's high-security facility was nestled somewhere in those peaks, and so was Bianca. My fingers drummed nervously against my thigh as questions tumbled through my mind. What would she tell us? Who else was involved in this conspiracy?

Roman's knuckles were white against the steering wheel. He hadn't tried to make conversation since we'd left the packlands, respecting my need for space or perhaps lost in his own thoughts. The silence should have been a relief after everything we'd been through, but instead, it felt oppressive.