Chapter 63

IRENE'S POV Stepping onto the Gerard Wolf Pack territory, memories began flooding back, overwhelming me. The scent of the familiar pines, the soft rustling of leaves—everything brought me back to the days when I had been one of them. Now, I returned as an outsider, a competitor, and the cold, unfriendly glances from the pack members hit me harder than I’d expected. I clenched my fists, trying to shake off the heaviness growing in my chest. But Leon noticed. He always noticed. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around me from behind, pulling me into a comforting embrace. "You okay?" he asked softly against my ear, his breath warm. I forced a smile, though I knew it didn’t reach my eyes. "I’ll be fine," I whispered, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "It’s just... strange being back here. I never thought I’d return under these circumstances." Leon tightened his embrace for a moment, and then, with a deep sigh, turned me around to face him. His blue eyes softened with understand