Nicole’s POV
The sound jolted me awake. It was deep, wild—a mix of howling and the brutal clash of claws against flesh. I sat up, blinking into the darkness, trying to make sense of what I was hearing. I reached for Nathan’s side of the bed, but it was empty. My heart leaped into my throat, and in an instant, I was out of bed, hurrying to the window.
Through the faint light of the moon, I saw them—dark, shadowy figures moving swiftly, battling our guards at the edge of the grounds. Panic clawed its way up my chest as I recognized the unmistakable forms of underworlders attacking, their massive forms moving with a brutal strength that only those from the underworld possessed. It was happening again.
My claws instinctively extended, ready to fight as I heard the door swing open behind me
