Raphael’s POV
The bell yanked me out of sleep like a hand around my throat.
Not a polite sound. Not one you roll over and ignore. It was sharp, metallic—an accusation in every strike. Whoever pulled that rope was either scared or about to make me very angry.
I didn’t bother with boots. My feet hit the cold floor, and I was halfway to the door before the first knock.
Two guards. Sweating. Eyes wild. Already useless.
“What.” Not a question. More like a blade.
“It’s… it’s the breeder, sir,” the taller one stammered. “She’s gone.”
For a moment, I just looked at him. Let him squirm in the silence.
Gone.
The word slid into my head, slow and hot. Not dead. Not broken. Not in her cage. Gone.
“How?”
“She—uh—we think—”
“You think?” My voice rose, not loud, just sharp enough to make him f
