Silver realized she was no longer free when she tried to open the door.
It was subtle at first.
She reached for the handle, fingers brushing cool metal, expecting it to turn. It did not. There was no dramatic clank, no audible lock sliding into place, just resistance.
She frowned and tried again, slower this time, still nothing.
A soft voice came from the other side. “Lady Silver?”
She stepped back. “Why is the door locked?”
A pause.
“It’s not locked,” the guard said.
She tilted her head. “Then open it.”
Another pause, but longer.
“I need to check with the Alpha first.”
Her chest tightened, not with panic, but something colder.
“I want to walk,” she said.
“I’ll inform him.”
She waited.
Five minutes passed, then ten.
She leaned her forehead against the wood, feeling its grai
