85:  MY PROPOSAL

In the quiet confines of our family home, the weight of the past battles and looming threats hung heavy in the air. My mother, with her gentle demeanor and wise eyes, sat across from me at the worn kitchen table. She reached out, taking my hand in hers, and looked at me with a mixture of concern and love.

“Ava,” she began softly, “I know the burdens you carry are immense. You’ve faced so much—loss, betrayal, battles—and you’ve emerged stronger every time. But there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

I squeezed her hand, finding comfort in her touch. “What is it, Mother?”

“It’s Alpha Jo,” she said, her voice tinged with a plea. “I see the way he looks at you, the regret in his eyes. And I see the pain you still hold onto because of what happened between you two.”

I looked away, my gaze falling on the familiar surroundings of our home, the place where I had always found solace. “Mother, it’s not that simple. He banished me, he chose Maria’s lies over our bond. How can I just forg