The wolf within me roared, and this time, I didn't hold it back.
The note sat on my desk like a coiled snake. "Your bond will be your undoing."
Through our bond, Darius's fury exploded—not the cold, calculated anger I'd felt before. This was primal, raw. His wolf surged so hard I felt it in my own chest.
He was in my quarters within seconds.
"Someone was in here." His voice was barely human, his eyes flickering gold. "Someone touched your things. Left threats in your space."
"I know."
"And you're just standing there?"
"What would you have me do? Chase shadows? React exactly how Gideon wants?"
He moved closer, crowding my space, his wolf presence overwhelming. But it wasn't threatening—it was protective in a way that made my own wolf respond with need rather than defiance.
"I'm done," he said quietly. "Done playing defensive. Done letting him dictate terms. Done watching him attack you while I follow protocols and political bullshit."
"Darius—"
