Lucy had almost reached the castle without running into anyone when a sudden rush of air sliced across her senses. She squeezed her eyes shut for barely two seconds.

That was enough.

She was slammed to the ground and dragged behind a secluded house before her instincts could catch up. It happened too fast for her to shield herself—too fast to fight back.

When her vision finally cleared and she focused on her attacker, Lucy scrambled to her feet with a scream. It wasn’t the scream of a powerful werewolf.

It was the cry of a terrified little girl.

It didn’t matter how much strength she’d gained in hours —this...