SARAPHINA'S POV

I watched my grandfather leave the dining room first. The chill he carried with him vanished, and what settled in its place was heavy. Not grief, not fear—something worse. Alpha Bastien remained seated across from me, but his presence had already consumed the space. The moment Luna Dayo left, the air shifted. The candlelight suddenly felt dimmer. The shadows on the walls stretched longer.

I stared down at my half-empty plate, pushing the last bite of bread across it with my ...