Kael POV

The echoes of the maid’s screams lingered with me long after the doors to the feeding chamber had closed.

I moved through the pack house like a specter, my boots leaving a trail of mud and blood on the polished floors. Pack members recoiled against the walls as I walked by, their gazes averted. None dared to breathe too loudly. They could sense it on me—the fury, the madness tightening with each step.

I didn’t pause until I arrived at my study.

The door creaked open, and I flicked on the light. Warm yellow light flooded the room, spilling over the shelves, the maps, and the scattered ledgers...