Seraphine had never liked waiting.
Especially not when things were slipping beyond her control.
She moved quickly through the corridors of the Vale packhouse, her steps sharp against the stone floor, her thoughts moving faster than her body.
Something was wrong.
She could feel it.
Not in the room.
Not in the council.
In Lucien.
The shift had started subtly.
A hesitation.
A pause where there should have been certainty.
Now it was growing.
And she did not like anything she could not control.
She reached his chambers without knocking.
The door opened sharply.
Lucien stood near the far window.
Still.
Silent.
Watching something beyond the walls.
Seraphine studied him carefully.
“You left the territory last night.”
He didn’t turn.
“Yes.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“You d
