MEMORIES

The night after the burial was eerily quiet, as if the world itself was mourning the loss of Mrs. Lauren. Damien sat alone in the pack’s great hall, the dim light from the hearth casting shadows across his face. His eyes were bloodshot from the exhaustion, but he couldn’t sleep. His mind wouldn’t stop racing with memories of his mother, her laughter, her fierce loyalty, the way she always stood by him no matter the storm. And now she was gone, sacrificed for the very family she had built her life around.

The weight of it was suffocating. He could still see the way she had looked at him, even in her final moments determined, protective, loving. She had died protecting what mattered most to her: her family, Elena, the future. And now Damien felt like he had failed her. He hadn’t been there when she needed him most. He had promised to protect her, and now she was gone.

The walls felt as though they were closing in on him. The burden of his grief was heavier than any battle he had fought,