Elliot was… good. That was the simplest way to put it, though nothing about him was ever truly simple. He treated Jared well, better than most would, and there was a quiet patience in the way he handled him that even I couldn't deny. But no matter how much warmth he showed, one truth remained rooted deep in my instincts—he wasn't Jared's blood.
In our world, blood and bond were everything. A pup without a true paternal link to an Alpha could easily become an outsider, no matter how strong the temporary affection seemed. An Alpha's protection could be absolute one moment and withdrawn the next, depending on shifting loyalties, pack politics, or even instinct.
I couldn't gamble on something so uncertain.
