Aria smiled more now than she had in weeks. She ate more at mealtimes. She even laughed at small, silly things that wouldn't have made her smile before.
But despite these improvements, her eyes still carried something heavy in them, a weight that shouldn't be there for someone so young.
Cassidy noticed it first, the way she always noticed everything about Aria. She saw the way Aria would watch the other young wolves playing together from the porch, standing there alone. She saw the way Aria never joined in their games, never ran with them or laughed with them. She saw the way Aria always stayed close to the adults instead, as if she belonged more in their world than with people her own age.
One evening, Cassidy sat on the porch with Nessa and Ezra. Aria was inside the house, curled up with a book as usual. Cassidy spoke quietly, her voice low and concerned.
"She's still too quiet. Even after everything, she's still withdrawing."
