---- But instead, I typed: Becky: Congratulations. Then I muted her. Not blocked. No, that would be mercy. I wanted her to see what she lost. Every victory. Every rise. Every smile. Let her choke on my silence. I set the phone aside. Back to the task at hand. Back to the life I was rebuilding from the ash of lies. Dinner was plated, and I stepped into the garden corridor, ready to call Alpha Michael and the butler in. But I halted mid-step. Voices. Low. Urgent. I froze. Tilted my head slightly, letting my enhanced hearing stretch toward the sound. ---- The wind shifted, carrying the scent of tension- fear? -from the garden. I padded forward on light feet, my back close to the stone wall. The butler's deep voice threaded through the leaves. «we can't stall any longer," he hissed. I moved closer, just enough to glimpse shadows through the hedge. Before I could step fully into view- DING. The front bell rang, sharp and jarring. I flinched. Silence fell in the garden like a cut rope. Voices gone. Movement stilled. I turned toward the main doors, heart thudding, my wolf restless beneath my skin. One last glance at the hedge. Nothing. ---- But something was off. Something was very, very wrong.