Isabella’s POV
The door slammed like a final breath.
And for a long time, none of us moved.
Thalia’s words still clung to the air like smoke—bitter, lingering, impossible to breathe through. I stared at the empty doorway, half-expecting her to come storming back in with another knife of a sentence to hurl at me. But there was only silence.
Until Asher spoke. Low. Raw.
“You didn’t have to say that last part.”
I turned to him slowly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. My hand trembled, so I clasped it at my side. “What part?”
“That she doesn’t belong,” he said, jaw tight. “You knew what it would do.”
“No,” I said, voice cool and quiet, “I knew what she was already doing. And I’m not going to apologize for calling out someone who treats loyalty like it’s optional.”
“She’s your pack,” he said, stepping toward me.
I didn’t flinch. “And I’m Luna. That doesn’t just mean making everyone feel good about their tantrums. It means protecting what we’ve built. Holding people accountable.”
“
