Zaliver’s POV
There was a tightness in my chest that didn’t belong. Unease clawed at me, sharp and subtle, a strange blend of dread and quiet. My skin prickled with goosebumps even as a chilling calm blanketed me, and deep down, I knew something was wrong.
Then came the shift.
The beast stirred. No, more than stirred he roared.
A violent surge of instinct and fury crashed through my mind as he lashed against the walls I’d spent centuries fortifying. He didn’t just push; he tore through them, snarling, snapping, sending pain ricocheting through my skull like blunt claws raking across bone.
I grit my teeth, spun the chair back toward the desk, and yanked the drawer open with shaking fingers. Even in the dim light, I found what I was looking for the syringe. The liquid inside was thick a
