The chains started reacting before he came.
At first, it was faint—just a weak pulse against my wrists, like a distant heartbeat. I barely noticed it. But within seconds, the feeling grew stronger, sharper, until pain began to spread through my arms like fire crawling beneath my skin.
I clenched my teeth and forced myself to stay still.
This wasn’t because I had tried to break them.
They were reacting on their own.
My wolf stirred immediately, rising beneath my skin with sudden alertness.
Something is wrong.
I swallowed slowly, my eyes narrowing as I stared at the faint markings carved into the silver. They were glowing now, brighter than before, as if something had triggered them.
Footsteps echoed outside the cell.
Heavy.
Steady.
Purposeful.
My body tensed, every instinct shar
