106

Lira

Later, Tova found me in the servants’ quarters. Her eyes were bright with excitement as she led me toward a narrow hallway.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

I followed as we headed out through a cobblestone pathway.

“Do you always sneak out at night like this?”

“Only when my bones itch,” Tova said. “Can’t sleep unless I shift. Feels like my skin’s too tight if I don’t.”

I hesitated. I couldn't shift in her presence or anyone's.

My wolf’s coat was white from muzzle to tail, the kind of white that never blended in, that always made others look twice.

“I'm too tired to shift,” I said flatly.

She said I didn't have to. She pressed against a loose brick. It shifted with a gritty scrape, and a narrow gap widened. Inside, the tunnel stretched forward—stone slick with moss and water dripping steadily somewhere in the dark.

My eyes widened.

“Secret tunnel.” Tova’s smile widened . “It runs from the servants’ quarters to the forest. Past that, it opens toward the warrior base.”

I staye