After our whirlwind meeting with Ezra in the throne room, the heavy atmosphere of the castle had felt lighter than it had in days. Demetrius and I had shared a quiet laugh over his sister's sudden, fierce attachment to the new scholar before deciding to head back to the King's office to get some actual work done.
The quiet scratch of my pen against the parchment was the only sound filling the grand, sunlit space. I was deep into the logistics for the orphanage, organizing supply lists and sorting through the paperwork needed to get the new curriculum off the ground. Across the heavy mahogany desk, Demetrius sat behind his computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he managed the broader, day-to-day affairs of the Lycan territories.
For the first time in weeks, the pack felt enti
