103

KATHERINE

The next morning, I woke early, the guilt from the previous day on me so I didn't sleep much, as I have been thinking about George and how careless I’d been. Even after Derek’s reassurance, needed to see George, to make sure he was okay.

I slipped out of bed and made my way through the quiet hallways of the pack house, my footsteps barely making a sound on the cold floor.

The pack was still mostly asleep, and the early morning air was crisp as it flowed through the open windows. As I wanted to go to the infirmary, where George had been resting, I heard something strange—the clinking of dishes from the dining room.

It was odd. Derek rarely ate this early, and most of the pack was still fast asleep.

Curiosity got the better of me, and instead of continuing to the infirmary, I turned toward the dining room. The sound of muffled voices reached my ears as I got closer, and a strange feeling settled in my stomach. I wasn’t sure why, but something about the situation felt off.

P