Selene's POV
With my breath panting, I hurried downstairs, my bare feet hitting the polished floor. My heart was still racing, but this time it wasn't from Frederick's touch—it was from the loud voices echoing through the manor.
This was strange.
Frederick's home was always silent, almost unnaturally so. One thing I had learned since being here was that he hated noise. He loved quietness, the kind of silence that made you feel like even the walls were holding their breath.
But now… that silence was gone.
The voices grew louder as I neared the grand hall. Deep, angry, commanding tones mixed with nervous replies. My wolf's ears perked inside me, restless, uneasy.
"What's happening?" I whispered under my breath, clutching the banister as I came down the staircase.
I froze halfway down the stairs when I saw a maid slumped against the wall, blood spilling from the side of her neck. My heart jumped, my wolf snarling inside me.
