CHAPTER 7

In the days that followed Caroline and Ema's dramatic departure, the pack house was full of murmurs and sidelong glances. As Amelia moved through the corridors, she felt the weight of innumerable eyes on her, the air thick with tension and unsaid opinions. Despite their physical absence, Ema and Caroline had an enduring impact on the dynamics within the pack. It

appeared that their impact extended well beyond the Alpha family's immediate orbit.

Amelia wandered into the communal gardens of the pack one brisk morning, seeking comfort in the colorful flowers. She turned a corner and heard voices talking passionately in subdued tones.

"It is unbelievable that the Alpha is still allowing that human to be around," a female voice muttered. "After Ema arrived and all of that?" Another voice said, "I heard she bewitched him somehow." "There is no other way to explain it."

It crushed Amelia's heart. She had assumed that Bruce's widespread popularity would put an end to these rumor