Elisabeth's POV
The world tilted beneath my feet. Halle's words crashed over me like ice water, stealing the breath from my lungs. Each syllable felt like a blade cutting through whatever remained of my composure.
I stumbled backward when Halle extended her hand toward me, my head moving frantically from side to side. "That's not possible," I managed to croak, my voice barely recognizable. "He would never say something like that."
But Halle's expression told a different story. Her eyes held certainty that made my stomach lurch.
Deep within me, my wolf released a sound of pure anguish. The pain wasn't born from rage but from heartbreak so profound it threatened to tear me apart. Jefferson's message, filtered through Halle's lips, felt like the cruelest rejection imaginable.
My steps continued backward, denial flooding every fiber of my being. This had to be some terrible mistake. A miscommunication. Anything but the truth Halle believed she was delivering.
