Klaus’s POV
Anneleide’s revelation still echoed in the back of my mind, rattling like loose stones in a jar. Rudolph’s schemes, her mother’s existence, the corruption winding through the council—it was too much to process in one evening. Yet the young woman sitting across from me looked so steady, as though she’d been rehearsing this moment her whole life.
I drew in a slow breath. “Anne… I need to be honest with you. I can’t stay in Severein to help you right now.”
Her expression didn’t flicker. If anything, she seemed almost amused by my formality.
“I expected as much,” she said smoothly. “You have your own pack, your own chaos. I never asked for your sword yet. Everything here is already in place. When the time comes, I’ll make my move. Tonight is not that time.”
Her calmness unsett
