**Gaia’s POV**

The kidnapping happened on the third night, swift and professional.

I had gone for a run in wolf form to clear my head, Selene’s white fur gleaming under moonlight as we raced the forest trails. Astrein had been in meetings all day; the distance between us felt like a canyon I couldn’t bridge. I needed the burn of muscles, the clarity of wind in my face.

They waited at the northern ridge—four of Vincenzo’s elite guards in dark camouflage, silver ...