Leo's POV
Standing before Helena, I force myself to wait while she decides whether to speak. The raw loneliness consuming my chest shows on my face now. I've stopped trying to hide what this rejection has done to me.
I need her to witness the depths of my regret.
She's no longer the broken girl I humiliated in front of the entire pack.
Moonlight threads through her dark hair like liquid silver, transforming each strand into something ethereal. When her eyes lock with mine, there's a strength there that slices through me more efficiently than any weapon. She doesn't flinch or look away. I don't intimidate her anymore, and that fearlessness ignites something primal in my blood.
For the first time in my existence, my wolf falls silent. Not from contentment, but from pure reverence.
"Helena." Her name tears from my throat like a confession. My fingers flex involuntarily, desperate to bridge the space between us. "Can we talk privately?"
