★Nuel's POV★
I remained on the cold, dusty floor long after Laila and her grandmother had stepped out, my body frozen, my mind a storm of fear and disbelief. Only when their footsteps faded into the distance did I force myself to rise again, my limbs trembling, my breaths uneven.
My heart thundered against my ribs—hard, wild, painful.
Not the normal kind of pain.
Not the kind a wound or bruise could cause.
This one felt internal, deep and wrong, like something inside me was shifting… pulling… tearing.
Eryndor.
The realization struck harder than any blow.
Eryndor would take over my body soon—
Not someday.
Not maybe.
Soon.
That was why they brought me here.
That was why Laila was close to me.
Why she pretended to care at the West Wing, why she had helped me, fed me, spoken softly to me as though she genuinely felt concern.
It was all because of him.
The soul inside me.
Their long-lost Alpha.
