The silence in the room was suffocating. The air was thick, as if the walls themselves were trembling in fear.
River stood frozen where she had dropped to her knees, her breath ragged, heart pounding against her ribs like a war drum. Every instinct in her body screamed for her to crawl away, to submit, to flee. This wasn’t just an alpha.
This was Death.
Heiko—no, the thing standing in front of her now—was breathing heavily, almost beast-like. His shoulders heaved with every inhale, his hands clenched at his sides, trembling with restraint he no longer possessed. His eyes were no longer human; they glowed with a fury born of war, blood, and an ancient curse.
He's gone. He's completely gone.
No.
No, he's in there.
He has to be.
River forced herself to move, even as her body screamed
