Hazel’s POV
I stood on the balcony overlooking the palace grounds, arms folded tight across my chest like I could hold everything inside if I squeezed hard enough. The late afternoon sun was making everywhere glow gold, but despite the beauty and calm of the place, my mind was spinning too fast.
Dimitri stood beside me—quiet, solid, arms crossed the same way mine were. He hadn’t said much since the incident that happened at the training field. The silence between us wasn’t awkward anymore. It was comfortable. Like he knew I needed space to think.
I finally broke it.
“Dimitri,” I said, keeping my voice low, “I think Nicholas and his beta are hiding something.”
He turned his head just enough to look at me. “What makes you say that?”
I leaned my elbows on the stone railing. “I was in Ni
