WINTER

The movement was spontaneous, driven by instinct, yet it shattered the calm in an instant.

A low, feral growl ripped from my mate’s chest. Guards surged forward, steel and muscle reacting faster than thought, and before I could even process what was happening, one of them struck. The woman who had spoken to me earlier was knocked violently to the ground.

Gasps erupted around us.

“Stop! Don’t hurt her!” I cried, my voice sharp with panic. “Please stop!”

But my words were ...