Darius nodded slowly. "You've started to see. Not just with your eyes, but with your wolf. You're sensing what we are. The energy. The presence."
She let out a small breath, her voice low. "It's overwhelming. Like stepping into a dream I didn't know I was part of."
"You're doing well," he said gently, his voice steady. "It gets easier with time. You're adapting faster than most."
Then, a voice broke through the calm like a breeze that carried ice.
"Darius."
Cassandra turned her head just as a woman approached, moving with the grace of someone used to being watched. She was older, perhaps in her late forties, with elegant posture and long black hair swept neatly into a twist. Her deep red gown hugged her figure perfectly, and her jewellery sparkled like stars against her pale skin. But
