Bella stood frozen, her blue eyes wide and haunted as she surveyed herself. Her trembling hands traced over the dried blood streaking her body, and her pallor deepened until she looked as if she might faint.
“I need to clean myself,” she murmured in a trembling voice, barely audible. Without waiting for a response, she turned and rushed to the bathroom.
Asher’s heart clenched as he watched her retreat. His mind whirred with panic, confusion, and a growing sense of dread. He reached out through the mind link to the warriors on duty, his tone urgent and sharp. “Report! Anything unusual? Any disturbances?”
One by one, calm responses came back. “All clear, Asher. Nothing to report.”
Frustrated yet determined to find answers, Asher followed Bella. He found her in the bathroom, standing unde
