Chapter 12

Roberta POV

It had been some time since I returned home, and my father began to delegate some of the responsibilities of managing the pack to me again. What upset me the most was that Marcus didn't react to my behavior, he didn't even send someone out to look for me. It was like a knife hanging over my head, ready to fall and cut my neck.

The early morning sun shone through the mist on the trees, ushering in a new day. I went out for a break, standing on the high ground on the edge of town, looking out over the forest and mountains in the distance, my mind wandering in Alston's confession. The conversation that morning was like a sudden storm that disturbed my inner peace.

"Roberta," Alston's voice rang behind me, and I turned, his blue eyes with an indescribable firmness, "there's something I've been wanting to say to you."

My heart was tight, vaguely guessing what he was going to say, but I chose to face it. "What is it, Alston?"

He took a deep breath as if preparing for the words h