CHAPTER 216
Aleric didn't contradict her. He remained in his crouch, his icy blue eyes tracing the exhaustion etched into the sharp lines of her face.
He knew she was right about the timeline, but pushing a shifter through a psychological wall with brute force was like trying to smash an iron gate with a bare fist—all it did was break the bones of the person trying to get through.
"Which is exactly why we're done for today," Aleric said firmly. He stood up from his crouch, the gravel crunching beneath his heavy boots as he extended a hand down toward her. "Get up. We should take a break."
Isabella stared at his open palm for a beat, the ghost of their childhood pack hierarchy lingering in the air for a split second before she dismissed it entirely.
She reached out, wrapping her fingers around his hand, and let him hoist her up off the freezing ground.
