Then he shifted too, his golden fur catching the light of the dying fire.
They bolted out the door together, leaving nothing but pawprints and the faint scent of their wolves in the room behind them.
Neither of them spared me more than a passing glance. I stayed there, still as stone, staring at the doorway long after they’d gone.
When my phone rang, I already knew who it was before I saw his name.
I answered, pressing the screen to my ear.
“Allison,” Alpha Caden said, his deep voice somber. “I found your letter on my desk.”
I closed my eyes and sat on the arm of the couch, letting the quiet settle between us.
“You’ve always done good work here,” he continued. “You’ve kept my pack safe. And you never once asked for more than what you needed. So tell me… what happened? Why are you quitting?”
I drew in a slow breath, the words coming out steady.
“It’s time, Alpha,” I murmured. “It’s time for me to stop running from who I am… and go back to face it. Back to Plum Blossom. Back to… my duty.”
I didn’t mention the marriage.
Not yet.
“You’re really leaving?” His voice sounded heavy, tired. “So soon? Do Ryan and Warren know?”
“They don’t,” I admitted quietly. “And please… help me keep it a secret. At least for now. I don’t want to cause more trouble.”
He sighed — a long, resigned sound that reminded me just how old he really was.
“You know how those two feel about you, Allison. Everyone always thought you’d pick one of them in the end.”
I smiled faintly, though there was no joy in it.
“There’s nothing to pity, Alpha,” I said softly. “You know what I am. What I’ll always be. No Alpha would truly want someone like me at his side. And as for my fated mate…”
I let the words fade.
We both knew that was a dream long dead. He didn’t try to persuade me anymore.
“Come see me before you go,” he said finally. “We may not see each other again for a long time.”
“I will,” I promised.
Before we hung up, he added one more thing.
“You’ve earned more than my respect these past few years. Consider this a small gesture of thanks — your award for your service will be delivered this afternoon. Don’t refuse it.”
I smiled faintly again, though he couldn’t see it.
“I won’t.”
When the knock came later that afternoon, I expected a courier, perhaps one of the pack messengers.
But when I opened the door… Trisha stood there, holding the award meant for me.
Allison’s POV