The burning conviction inside Nadia’s heart refused to let her rest. Every instinct she possessed, every beat of her alpha-blooded lineage, screamed that the mysterious slave girl who had just survived the deadly Winter Solstice Hunt was Valeria. But a princess raised on war and strategy knew that assumption was a luxury she could not afford. She needed absolute confirmation. She had to find a way to infiltrate the restricted royal wing of the grand palace, even if it was just to catch a fleeting glimpse of the girl’s face. Once she knew the truth for certain, she could calculate her next move.
Waiting until the deep, silent hours of midnight, Nadia put her plan into motion. The barracks were quiet, the guards outside exhausted from the day's high-alert status. Using the stealth tactics h
