Page 78 of The Pack

I frowned slightly, my chest tightening as I looked at her. She was just a kid, caught in a world that had stripped her of so much—her innocence, her freedom, her understanding of what it meant to truly live.

“Why?” I asked gently. “Why do you want to impress me?”

Amelie shrugged, her small shoulders rising and falling. “Because you’re different. You talk like my grandmother. And you… you don’t look at me like the others do.”

“How do the others look at you?”

“Like I’m just… there,” she said, her voice dropping. “But you talk to me. You listen. I like it.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected, and I reached out, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“I’ll always listen, Amelie,” I said softly.

She leaned into the touch, her slight frame pressing against my side. For the first time since I’d been dragged into this nightmare, I felt a flicker of warmth—not hope, exactly, but something close.

We sat in silence for a while, the fire crackling softly between us, but my thoughts were anything but calm.

I missed them.

Magnus always seemed to have a plan, no matter how impossible things looked. His presence was grounding, a constant reminder that someone was in control even when the world felt like it was falling apart. I could still hear his voice in my head, low and commanding, telling me to keep going, to stay strong.

Tobias was different—quieter, more intense. His dark eyes carried the weight of an experience I couldn’t begin to understand, but there was a fierce protectiveness in him that made me feel safe in a way I hadn’t felt in years. He didn’t say much, but when he did, his words were like iron, solid and unyielding.

Callum, with his easy smile and kind gray eyes, made me feel warm and safe. He was always there with a kind word, a quick joke, or a steadying hand when I needed it most. His optimism felt like a lifeline in the middle of all this chaos, a reminder that there was still good to be found, even here.

And Killian… Killian was chaos. Wild and untamed, he kept us on our toes, but beneath the teasing and the bravado, he was solid, dependable, and even a little sweet. He made me laugh when I thought I couldn’t and made me feel alive.

Then there was Thorne. Quiet, stoic, and sharp as a blade, he was the calm in the storm. His pale blue eyes could cut through to the truth of things in a way that left me breathless, and his always dependable presence was like a shield, always there to protect me from harm.

I didn’t want to admit it, not even to myself, but my heart was beating for them and only them.

It didn’t make sense. How could I feel this way in the middle of all this madness? How could I let myself want something so impossible when everything else was crumbling all around me?

But I did.

I wanted Magnus’s quiet strength, Tobias’s fierce loyalty, Callum’s warmth, Killian’s wild energy, and Thorne’s unwavering calm. I wanted them, not just as protectors, but as my mates.

As I sat there by the fire, Amelie’s small hand clutching mine, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d ever get the chance to tell them.

My eyes watered and I tried to blink back my tears.

I hoped they were okay and that they were still alive. I missed them. It felt like my heart was broken without my pack.

“Amelie,” I said softly, my voice cutting through the quiet.

She turned to me, her wide eyes curious. “Yes?”

“Where are they keeping the wolves?” I asked carefully, my tone as light as I could make it.

Her brows furrowed, and she glanced toward the far end of the cave where the shadows deepened into darkness. “Why?”

“I just… I need to know they’re okay,” I said, forcing a small, reassuring smile.

Amelie hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip. “They’re fine,” she said after a moment. “Grandmother says they’re being kept safe.”

“I’d still like to see them,” I pressed gently. “Just for a moment.”

She frowned, her small hands twisting in her lap. “We’re not supposed to go back there.”

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