Chapter 163

• Third Person's POV
• Perhaps it was Magnus's jealousy, or the weight of resentment he carried for all the men who had ever brushed against Aysel's past, but he sat close beside her, tail barely restrained under the sofa, ears flicking at every notification ping. The funeral of Anna had barely passed, yet Aysel had received a summons from old acquaintances-a high school reunion organized by some packmates long dispersed.
• Two days, one night, at Mistyhowl Mountain Lodge, the same place they had once ventured for a bonding retreat. Aysel's claws itched with hesitation. High school had been a time when Celestine Ward lurked in the shadows, a thorn in her side, and Aysel's social presence had been quiet, understated. She had little desire to mingle with half-familiar wolves from her past. Yet when her finger paused over the message that read, "Even the class leader will attend," a pang of curiosity stirred.