Kaelen slowed his pace as he moved deeper into the building.
The pull was still there, not sharp enough to stagger him, not violent enough to force his hand but persistent. It threaded through his chest like a tension wire pulled too tight.
He should have stopped but he ignored it and kept walking.
The corridor lights were dimmed for the night cycle and motion sensors flickering on ahead of him and shutting off behind him.
His footsteps echoed softly against polished floors, the sound grounding him more than anything else.
He adjusted his breathing, steady and measured. This wasn't the Sacred Valley, there were too many people above him, too many variables.
Letting the curse slip, even slightly, wasn't an option. It would start a chaos but his wolf pressed forward anyway, not raging, not snarling but aware.
Kaelen clenched his jaw, his fingers curling at his sides as the pressure tightened, tugging him subtly left, then forward again.
