Chapter 4

As I packed my bags, my hands trembled. At the back of the closet sat a dusty safe, its combination my birthday. Once, it had been a symbol of Kareem’s devotion, a gesture from the Beta of our pack. Now, it felt like a cruel mockery. My fingers fumbled as I punched in the code, and a memory surfaced—a month before the accident, I had inexplicably slept through an entire day and night. Kareem had brushed it off as low blood sugar, bringing me sweet coffee to “help.” The thought made my stomach churn.

Inside the safe was a hospital…