The room fell deathly silent, save for the sound of my labored breathing and Henry's strangled gasps. The kitchen staff—rugged, sharp-eyed werewolves—scattered like leaves in a storm, their unnatural speed blurring them into shadows. I was left standing alone in the suffocating presence of the Alpha, surrounded by beings who were stronger, faster, colder than I’d ever be.
I didn’t need to look at Idris to feel the weight of his fury; it radiated from him like heat from a wildfire, pressing into my fragile human skin. The very air around him crackled with restrained violence. Slowly, I let go of Henry, whose skin was unnaturally cold beneath my fingers. He slumped to the ground, clutching his bleeding neck, black-red blood seeping through his fingers as he coughed violently. My claws retra
