The first thing I heard that morning wasn’t the usual quiet rustle of servants or birds outside my window.
It was shouting.
Dozens of voices loud, frantic, angry echoing from the courtyard below.
I sat up sharply, my heart racing. “What’s happening?” I whispered to myself, sliding out of bed. Before I could reach the door, it burst open.
Lila stumbled in, out of breath, her eyes wide with excitement. “Elsa” she gasped, “they found her!”
“Who?” I demanded, gripping the edge of the dresser.
“Mistress Veronica,” she blurted. “They found her tied up in the town hall. The whole pack’s gathered there.”
I froze. “Tied up?”
“She tried to run away after faking her pregnancy,” Lila said quickly, lowering her voice. “The Alpha ordered her brought in. Everyone’s talking about it.”
For a heart
