As I sat in my study, staring out of the window at the sprawling palace grounds, a question kept circling in my mind like a relentless storm: Why should I care about her? Why do I feel the need to protect her?
It wasn’t logical. Olivia was just a human—a stubborn, reckless, and infuriatingly bold human. She didn’t belong in my world, and she certainly didn’t belong in my thoughts. Yet, here I was, consumed by the memory of her fiery eyes, her defiant stance, and the way she spoke to me without fear.
How had she managed to get under my skin? Was it her courage? Her unwavering determination to fight for what she believed in, even when the odds were stacked against her? Or was it something deeper, something my wolf recognized before I could?
My wolf stirred restlessly within me, its growl
