NADIA
The walls of the palace were unusually quiet that morning. It was too quiet…eerily so. I moved cautiously through the marble halls, careful not to draw attention.
Since Max announced his union with the daughter of the Dagger Moon pack, a heaviness had settled over the air like a thick fog.
Whispers drifted from the guest wing. My instincts drew me closer, past the guards who stood stiffly at the door.
They didn't notice me. Or maybe they didn't care. I pressed my back against the wall, creeping silently until the voices became clear.
The whispers in the hallway sent chills crawling down my spine. I stepped deeper into the shadows, holding my breath as I strained to hear.
Max's voice, deep and cruel, filtered through the crack in the wall.
"She will be of no use after this. Once the ceremony is done, the Night Shadow pack will never question me again."
"And the sacrifice?" another voice asked…sharp, foreign, cold.
