CALEB POV
I caught Lily's hand just as she was about to smash the dark rock against the wall.
"Wait," I said gently, wrapping my fingers around hers. "Breaking it might make things worse."
Her whole body was shaking with rage and confusion, but she stopped trying to destroy the crystal. That was progress. Three months ago, when her emotions were totally gone, she would have just stared at the thing with empty eyes. Now she was feeling enough to want to break it.
Even if that feeling was mostly anger and fear.
"It's talking to me, Caleb," she whispered, her voice cracking. "That thing is in my head, calling me mother, and I don't understand any of it."
I could hear the fear rising in her voice. The pack meeting had broken up in chaos after Luna gave her terrible news, but I'd stayed with Lily. Someone had to keep her grounded while her world fell apart again.
"Let's sit down," I offered, guiding her to a chair. "And let's figure this out together."
