The guards tore through Mia's chamber with ruthless precision, yanking curtains aside, pulling open wardrobes, sweeping under the bed, their boots thudding violently against the polished floors. The heavy scent of tension thickened the air. Their voices overlapped—
"Check behind the divider!"
"She couldn't have gone far!"
"His Highness must be found—NOW!"
The king's command had clearly shaken them.
But Leon and Mia were already gone.
Or so the guards believed.
And then—
A sharp clatter.
A shifting shadow.
A breath escaping where breath shouldn't be.
"Here!" one shouted. "Behind the drapery—!"
The curtain ripped open.
Mia gasped.
Leon moved so fast the guards barely saw the blur. His hand shot out, claws half-formed, shoulders expanding as his bones cracked beneath his skin. Xavier—his wolf—was forcing his way out. Fur rippled along his forearms, his eyes flashed molten gold, and a growl rolled from his throat—a sound so deep it shook the furniture.
