Louis' POV
I ran.
My feet pounded against the marble floors as I sprinted through the halls, then down the steps and out the castle doors. The night air hit me, cool and crisp, but my body was burning with fear. I shifted mid-run, my clothes tearing as my wolf took over, massive paws hitting the earth with force.
She was out here. Alone.
The woods stretched before me, dark and quiet, but I could scent her—her familiar, intoxicating scent mixed with the fresh earth and night air. My wolf pushed harder, faster, weaving through the trees as I followed her trail.
And then I saw her.
She stood in the middle of a clearing, the moonlight casting a glow on her. She wasn't shifting. She was just standing there, staring up at the sky.
Something about the way she stood—the stillness, the quiet
