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Chapter 8: The Weight of Knowing

Author: Alessia Frost
last update publish date: 2026-07-11 12:47:53
POV: Ryder

The scent hit Ryder before the sound of footsteps even reached the corridor.

He was on his feet before he consciously decided to stand, pulled upright by the animal part of him that lay below thought, below reason, silent so long he'd almost convinced himself it was dead. His wolf flung himself at the walls of Ryder's self-control with a ferocity that left him breathless.

Vanilla. Wildflowers. Her. She was here. On this floor. Coming closer.

Ryder gripped the edge of his cot and did n
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