Chapter 82

Chapter Title: A Year Without You

*(Laura’s POV)*

It’s been one year since I last saw or heard from Maxwell. An entire year of silence, no letters, no telephone calls, no messages—nothing. The weight of his absence clings to me like a heavy fog, suffocating my every thought. He promised to keep in touch, to let me know he was safe, but it’s been too long. I can’t help but wonder if something terrible has happened to him. Has he forgotten me? Or worse, has he been captured?

I sit on the edge of my bed, staring out of the small window of the golden pack I now call home. It’s a far cry from the freedom we felt when we first escaped the Black Pearl Pack together. I remember every moment as if it were yesterday—the way the moonlight lit up the forest as we ran through the trees, hearts pounding in sync, the thrill of escaping that hellhole. Those were some of the best days of my life.

The memories flood back to me, bittersweet and beautiful. Maxwell was my anchor, my strength when I though