Nikolai

“Careful,” I growled, the word scraping raw from my throat, already tight with a snarl. I took a step forward, my boot scuffing against the polished clinic floor as Dr. Thompson leaned over the bed, her competent fingers pressing against Lorelei’s pale throat.

She didn’t flinch, but I saw the subtle stiffening of her shoulders. “It’s necessary, Your Majesty,” she said, her voice a studied, clinical calm that felt like an insult. “We need to assess her airway, check ...