Ava Chris and I made our way back to the podium with the Elders in tow. This decree was unprecedented, a radical shift that would undoubtedly send shockwaves rippling through every facet of our pack’s way of life. But I was proud of him. Eradicating the Omega slavery had been a lifelong pipedrea

Chris laughed, a sweet and melodic sound that would have been lost amongst the music had we not been pressed so close. For those fleeting moments, it was as if the rest of the world blurred, leaving only Chris and me in our own little bubble as we twirled on the dance floor. His face was flushed,

Seeming to sense my hesitation, Chris’s expression softened. “I’ll turn around,” he said gently. I wavered for a moment longer before finally giving in with a curt nod. “Fine,” I replied, tilting my chin up at him. “But no peeking, you hear me?” Chris simply grinned, spinning around in the water

But somehow, it felt… empty. Chris had said those words so suddenly the other day as we were drying ourselves off in the cavern: “So I suppose it won’t be a problem if I move into the Packhouse now?” I had blinked up at him in the glowing light of the cavern, shocked by his sudden words—they had

For a long time, the two of us just drank in companionable silence, silence which was filled only by the sound of the music crackling through the stereo and the crickets chirping. Before I knew it, that warm, fuzzy feeling was starting to take over me—along with the desire to dance. Without a word