in her bedchamber, pacing the freezing wooden floorboards like a caged animal. Every cre

phic, but the physiological rebellion h

it had burrowed deeper into her nervous system. It flared in agonizing, unpredictable pulses, turning her skin clammy and hypersensitive. The

to her narrow cot, her body trembling violently under the thin woo

nt her consciousness slipped, she plunge

had haunted her for the past week, but

as thick and heavy, smelling of damp earth, decaying pine needles, and the sharp, metal

-barked pine tree. She spun around, her bac

between the

n the darkness. They were the eyes of an apex predat

tricate, glowing tribal tattoos and dense, obsidian scales. The sheer physical density of its aura pushed the oxygen out

east

its massive hands onto the tree trunk on either side of her head, completely t

flooded her veins. The beast's proximity triggered a violent surge of that strange heat in her lower abdomen. Her knees buckled.

d canines glinting in the dark, and low

BANG

awake. Her upper body s

ark, bone-white light. Elinore was drenched in a cold sweat. Her heart hammered against her ribs so hard she tho

BANG

aking the dust from the frame. It was entirely devoid

rked through the thick wood. It was Flint, th

, her boots hitting the floorboards. She forced her racing heart to slow, locking the

, grabbed the iron hand

mels of their broadswords. But despite their aggressive posture, Elinore instantly noticed the thick layer of cold

ho had fought in the border sk

Elinore demanded, dropping her voice into

ture of contempt and poorly concealed panic. "His Majesty demands yo

om beneath Elinore's feet. The

?" Elinore asked, her

lready been escorted to the antechamber. Do not

formation. This wasn't an escort. It was a prisoner tr

er spine, projecting an aura of absolute r

. The usual morning sounds of servants scrubbing floors and lighting fires were

t felt incredibly heavy, pushing down on Elinore's shoulders. It was t

er hard, painful throb. Her body was reacting to

the ten-foot-tall, solid bra

s armored hands flat against the me

f absolute human terror. Elinore took a deep breath, her fingers brushing