When the guard arrived with the blanket, his footsteps were hurried but careful, the weight of my command still heavy in the air. He lowered his gaze the entire time, not daring to look directly at me or the figure I cradled on the ground. Even without words, the scent of his fear drifted toward me. The whole forest seemed to have gone silent except for the low rumble of Alvin’s growl beneath my skin.

I snatched the blanket from him without another word, the urgency clawing at my chest. My ...