Chapter 35

• *Dante*
• My words had been harsh, and I’d regretted them the minute they’d escaped my lips. I’d felt displaced by how quickly I’d stormed into her room and I’d wanted for us to get back even. A part of me had been scared I’d gone too far, but when she’d raised her head defiantly and refused to back down, I’d been relieved. More than that… I’d been proud, dammit. She was supposed to be one of the weakest wolves according to pack ranking, but she’d shown resilience at every turn, never letting anything get to her, even for a second. Or so I’d thought, I added silently, watching the tears rolling down her cheeks.
• I was well aware her crying could be another one of her stunts, but it didn’t feel like it. The cameras couldn’t record audio, but even I could tell her sobs were… quiet. Like she was trying everything she could to conceal her grief. She was laying on the bed, her face hidden underneath her arm. I sat in my bedroom, my eyes fixed on her, though I wished I could look away. I could see the tremor in her body, the silent collapse of someone who had fought so hard to hold it together. My fingers curled into my palms, my nails biting into my skin, as if trying to hold myself together.