"Ethan," Avery's voice was barely a whisper, thick with a weight she'd carried alone for too long. She sat beside him, her hands trembling slightly as she pulled her knees up, looking at the flickering fire. "There's… something I haven't told you. Something I've kept buried."
He looked at her, his brow furrowed with concern. "What is it, Avery?"
She hesitated, her fingers tracing patterns in the dirt. "My family… they were killed by rogue Lycans. I was just a child when it happened. I still remember… every detail." Her voice grew quiet, haunted. "I remember the smell of the smoke, the screams. It's like I can still hear them."
Ethan's face fell, his hand finding hers, steady and warm. "Avery… I didn't know."
