Chapter 36
Xavier
I had just finished a tense meeting with the pack elders when I noticed a commotion near the kitchen. My instincts immediately sharpened, and without thinking, I made my way toward the noise. As I got closer, I saw a group of maids gathered, their faces pale with fear, and in the middle of it all stood Zara, looking small and fragile, her clothes stained with something I couldn't quite make out from a distance.
My jaw clenched, and a wave of annoyance washed over me. I didn't even need to ask what happened before the irritation flared in my chest. Just seeing her like that—disoriented, vulnerable—had already set me on edge.
"What the hell is going on here?" I demanded, my voice cutting through the tense air like a whip.
One of the maids, a tall one with sharp features, looked like she was about to speak, but I held up a hand, silencing her before she could say a word. I wasn't interested in hearing excuses from them. No, I wanted to hear it from Zara herself.
