Monalisa pressed her back against the rough bark, trying to steady her breathing.“Mother?” she whispered, voice barely audible. “It’s me. I’m here.”For a long, agonizing moment, there was only silence. Then a hooded figure stepped out from behind the trunk, Monalisa’s pulse spiked with hope, until the figure lowered the hood. It wasn’t Elena. The woman was unfamiliar, sharp-featured with cold, calculating eyes and a scar running along her jaw. A low-ranking she-wolf, Monalisa guessed, but one who carried herself with dangerous confidence.“You came,” the woman said softly, a thin smile curving her lips. “Good. Your mother worried you might not.”“Where is she?” Monalisa demanded, staying close to the tree. The golden energy flickered beneath her skin, ready. “This was supposed to be her meeting.”“Elena is close, but Viktor’s scouts are everywhere. She couldn’t risk coming herself.” The woman glanced over her shoulder, feigning nervousness. “We have a narrow window. Come with me. She
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