**Royal Garden – Night**

The garden was quiet except for the soft rustle of leaves and the distant chirp of night insects. Moonlight spilled across the stone paths, turning everything silver.

“So… what do you think?” Jim asked, hands in his pockets as he nodded toward the view. “The night skyline’s pretty outstanding, right?”

“Yeah,” Amora murmured, staring out at the twinkling lights of the distant pack houses. “It really is.”

*Amora!! Mate!! I can smell him—he’s close!!* Ora’s voice exploded in her head, frantic and excited.

Amora’s head snapped up.

She wasn’t wrong.

Alpha Ace stood maybe twenty feet away, arms crossed, glaring daggers at Jim.

Jim froze mid-step....