Josie
I could tell right away the triplets didn't like the arrangement. Not even a little.
The signs were subtle if you didn't know them—but I did. Shoulders pulled tight, jaws clenched so hard you could almost hear the enamel grind, eyes darting to Varen with that mix of accusation and betrayal. Like they were silently shouting, This is your fault, without saying a word.
And honestly? I couldn't even blame them. The whole thing was like trying to carry a bucket full of holes—you knew it was going to leak trouble everywhere, it was just a question of how soon. But still, for reasons I couldn't fully explain to myself, I found my instincts pulling me to Varen's side.
They thought he'd gone out of his way to bring the wicked witch herself into our pack, that he'd swung open the doors and practically rolled out a red carpet for Michelle. But I'd seen Varen make choices under fire before—he wasn't careless. That meant there was something else at play here, something they didn't see.
