CIAN
The sentinels returned quicker than they should have. Their boots struck the floor in a frantic rhythm that set my nerves on edge. But they didn't come with the bastard I wanted. I waited for the usual report, the stiff posture, the salute. Instead I got silence. Their faces were drained of color. Their eyes stayed glued to the ground.
A warning in itself.
"What the fuck is holding your tongue?" I snapped. "And where is he?"
They traded looks like boys caught stealing from the kitchen. Fear rolled off them in waves.
"Speak," I said again, this time quieter and cold.
One stepped forward. His throat bobbed. "Alpha, Kayden was found unconscious in his cell. Foaming at the mouth."
Cold hit me so fast it felt like my blood froze solid.
"We called for the healers right away," he added. "But it looked critical. Very critical."
Perfect timing. Perfect sabotage. Right when everything depended on him staying alive.
