Chapter 41 Danger Lurking

• In the days that followed, Eulalia began to feel more at ease among the wolves. Part of her remained on edge, but spending time with the others—especially the pack’s children—brought moments of distraction and sometimes even smiles. Her daily walks became routine, and with them came a strange sense of freedom within the prison disguised as a village.
• Alaric would join her occasionally, and whenever he did, the atmosphere felt softer. The trees looked greener, the air heavier, and the silence between them spoke louder than a thousand words. But he also knew how to vanish—gone for hours, sometimes days, without saying where he was. Eulalia never asked, but she always noticed.
• Still, not everything was perfect. Every time she went out, she felt the eyes on her—and not all were friendly. Bella, with her upright posture and ever-present air of superiority, watched her from a distance like a predator studying its prey. Around her was a loyal trio—three women orbiting her like satellites devoted to a dark sun. Eulalia never bothered to learn their names; they didn’t matter. After the lesson Mika had given them, they kept their distance anyway.