(Kieran POV)
The change rippled through me like silk sliding over steel—bones reshaping, muscles flowing into new configurations, senses exploding into hyperclarify that made my human form feel like walking through fog. Four legs carried me across the castle grounds with the silent grace that only came naturally to apex predators.
I'd told myself this was about security. Catherine was exploring the gardens alone, and there were... things in the deeper shadows that might find a solitary human woman irresistible. Ancient contracts bound most dangers away from the castle's immediate grounds, but magic was slippery, and I'd learned not to trust in protective wards when something precious was at stake.
But the wolf knew better. The wolf understood that this had nothing to do with security an
