Kael's POV
Blood dripped from my fingertips onto the pristine marble floor. My breathing came in harsh, ragged pants as I surveyed the devastation around me. Bodies littered the banquet hall—some dead, others merely unconscious, all victims of whatever dark power had seized control of them.
But one still lived. One still might have answers.
I stalked toward a female wolf who lay trembling against the far wall. Unlike the others, awareness filled her eyes—cold, calculating awareness. She'd been hiding among the fallen, hoping to escape notice.
"You," I growled, seizing her by the throat and hauling her up. "You're still conscious."
She gasped, claws scrabbling weakly at my wrist. Her eyes—amber with streaks of unnatural red—darted frantically around the room, seeking escape.
"Shift," I commanded, voice deadly quiet.
When she hesitated, I tightened my grip. "Now."
