Fiona's POV

The minutes felt like hours as I waited in the quiet of our bedroom, my thoughts a chaotic whirl.

I'd spent the last hour pacing from one corner of the room to the other, straining to catch any sound from the forest, hoping to hear footsteps or even distant howls that would signal the return of Sebastian and his guards.

Stella stayed by my side, ever the patient friend, but I could tell she was as tense as I was.

Occasionally, she would look out the window, her eyes scanning the ...