ASTRID'S POV

"Dane was here?" I asked, my voice trembling as the words left my lips. My throat tightened as a sudden, terrifying realization hit me—someone had been watching us, listening to us. That someone was Dane.

Without wasting a second, I yanked the drip out of my wrist and bolted toward the door, my heart racing.

"Where are you going, Astrid?" Beta Ivar's voice called out, halting me in my tracks. But I couldn't stop.

I ignored his questions and lunged for the door, desperate to escape. My fingers just barely brushed the doorknob when I felt his hand gently grab my wrist, pulling me back.

The sudden tug...