(Victor POV) Victor had been ready long before the announcement. The hunt didn’t matter. The stag didn’t matter. The other packs— Didn’t matter. Not compared to her. He stood near the far wall, listening without listening as the others prepared around him. Because his focus had never left Mia. Not since that morning. Not since the moment she opened that door. Not since he felt what she had become. And now— Watching her step into the room— Something in him reacted instantly. Not subtly. Not quietly. His jaw tightened slightly. His breath slowed. Controlled. Because whatever this was— It was getting stronger. She looked different. Not physically. Not in a way others would notice. But he saw it. Felt it. The shift in her energy. The way the air around her responded

