Elias's pov
Taemin's wolf, Thorne, towered behind her in spirit, scarred yet proud, her presence unmistakable. She carried her pain like armor and her defiance like a crown. She did not look afraid. She stopped in front of me and, for a moment, we only looked at each other, Crestwood power crackling raw and untamed between us, rattling the glass, pressing wolves to their knees.
I swallowed hard. My voice broke as I whispered, "I finally found you."
Her gaze did not soften. If anything, it sharpened, cutting through me with a single look. "Found me?"
The way she said it made my chest twist. "I've searched," I told her, too quickly, too desperately. "My whole life, even when I did not understand what I was looking for. Every roar, every dream, every shadow I thought was nothing. I thought it was me losing my mind, and I chose to live low as guilt crowded my heart."
