Jayden's eyes narrowed slightly. "Aunt Kate?" he muttered to himself.
"Yes. Your aunt Kate," Fred confirmed, having heard him. "We went to Beta Academy together. We were... close friends too. Very close."
Jayden felt a flicker of surprise but kept his expression neutral. "You went to school with Aunt Kate?"
"I did," Fred said, a hint of nostalgia crossing his features. "Kate was brilliant. Top of our class in tactical analysis and... basically everything else. She could read a situation faster than anyone I've ever met. She was also stubborn as hell, fiercely protective of the people she cared about, and had a sense of humor that could catch you completely off guard." His expression softened slightly. "And the last time we met, she talked about you, actually. The newbie wolf she was mentoring. Said you had potential beyond what most people could see."
