CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE – BACK IN CHICAGO

The familiar sights and sounds of Chicago engulfed her, but everything felt different now. She was no longer the naive waitress from Cheesy Fingers. She was a wyld wolf on a mission. As she made her way through the bustling city, Cassie's phone buzzed. It was Elena. "Hey, stranger," Elena's voice crackled through the speaker. "You back on American soil?" "Just landed," Cassie replied, her voice low. "You got what I need?" "Meet me at the old spot in an hour. And Cass... be careful." The line went dead. Cassie hailed a taxi, giving the driver an address she knew by heart. As the city whizzed by, her mind raced with memories of Florian, of their time together, of his last words to her. She clenched her fists, pushing the pain aside. There would be time for that later. The taxi pulled up to a run-down diner on the outskirts of town. Cassie paid the driver and stepped out, the smell of greasy food and stale coffee hitting her nostrils. She pushed open the door, the bell jingling over