Chapter 74

FERRIS' POV

That evening, I stepped out to the balcony to think. I should be happy now that Elise was free but it wasn't that easy. The whole ordeal of rescuing her was over, but it wasn't enough. Elise was safe, at least for now, but there were other matters that needed my attention—matters that required my total focus when I left here and returned to my pack.

I gripped the railing, feeling the rough texture beneath my palms as I stared out into space. Bringing Elise to my territory, an outsider with no ties to my pack, was a complication I hadn’t fully planned for. I had no reason to keep her close, no legitimate excuse to keep her under my protection.

The thought disturbed me. Before, I believed that once Elise was with me, the trouble would be over. But now that I thought of it, there were other things I needed to protect her from back in my territory.

If Elise was truly to be safe, she needed more than just to be with me. She needed the strength of a bond, something to connect