The scream that rose from the forest did not sound human.
It echoed across the snow-covered estate with a distorted sharpness that made Evelyn's entire body go rigid. The sound twisted through the wind like something wounded and furious at the same time, lingering far longer than it should have before fading back into the storm.
Silence followed.
Not peaceful silence.
The dreadful kind.
The kind that made people hold their breath while waiting for something worse.
Cassian moved first.
He crossed the training hall in three quick strides and pulled aside the heavy curtain near the window. Snow swirled violently beyond the glass, obscuring most of the estate grounds beneath sheets of white.
Evelyn stood behind him, trying very hard not to imagine monsters hidden among the trees.
"Well," she muttered weakly, "that definitely sounded unhealthy."
Cassian did not smile this time.
His gaze remained fixed on the forest beyond the manor walls, jaw tight with concentration. Firelight from the training hall flickered faintly across his features, sharpening the resemblance between him and his father even further.
"What was that?" Evelyn asked more quietly.
"I don't know."
The answer unsettled her more than she expected.
Cassian Blackthorne was not someone who seemed easily uncertain. Even when frustrated or emotional, he carried himself with calm precision. Hearing genuine unease in his voice made the atmosphere inside the hall feel colder somehow.
Another bell rang outside.
Twice this time.
Cassian immediately stepped away from the window.
"That's from the western gate," he said.
Evelyn frowned. "And two bells mean?"
"Possible breach."
Her soul nearly departed her body peacefully.
"Possible breach?" she repeated incredulously. "Why does this place sound like a medieval horror movie?"
Cassian glanced toward her briefly.
"You really speak strangely sometimes."
Right.
Fantasy world.
No movies.
Evelyn cleared her throat. "Forget I said that."
Unfortunately, the young heir looked even more suspicious now.
Before either could continue, hurried footsteps approached the training hall. A moment later, the door opened sharply and Mina entered, visibly pale beneath the warm candlelight.
"Madam," she said quickly, "Head Steward Elias requests your return to the eastern wing immediately."
Evelyn blinked. "Why?"
"The inner estate is entering restricted lockdown."
That sounded deeply unpleasant.
Cassian frowned. "Restricted? Father only orders that during direct threats."
Mina lowered her gaze nervously. "The guards discovered tracks near the outer walls."
The room went still.
Evelyn immediately regretted asking.
Cassian's expression darkened. "Human?"
"No, Young Master."
A strange chill crawled down Evelyn's spine.
The maid hesitated before continuing in a quieter voice. "The patrol described them as… malformed."
Nope.
Absolutely not.
Evelyn was suddenly prepared to pack emotionally and spiritually.
Cassian was already moving toward the weapon rack again. "I'm going to the command hall."
"No," Mina said instantly.
Both of them looked toward her in surprise.
The maid swallowed hard beneath the attention. "The Alpha specifically ordered the young master to remain away from the northern sector."
Cassian's jaw tightened visibly.
"And if the northern sector reaches the manor?"
The question hung heavily in the air.
Mina had no answer for that.
Evelyn watched the exchange silently, her chest tightening unexpectedly. The deeper she became involved with Blackthorne Manor, the more obvious it became that this family existed under constant pressure. Not only political pressure or responsibility, but the exhausting strain of living in a place where danger could arrive at the gates without warning.
Cassian looked toward the windows again.
The storm outside had worsened.
Snow battered against the glass relentlessly now, while distant torchlights moved quickly across the estate grounds below. Guards crossed the courtyards in groups, their dark uniforms nearly blending into the night.
Evelyn exhaled slowly. "All right. Nobody is dramatically sacrificing themselves tonight."
Cassian looked mildly offended. "I wasn't planning to."
"You literally reached for a sword twice in the last ten minutes."
"That's normal."
"That should not be normal."
To her relief, that finally earned the faintest twitch near his mouth again.
Mina still looked deeply stressed.
Evelyn softened her voice slightly. "We'll return to the eastern wing."
The maid visibly relaxed.
As the three of them left the training hall, the cold air sweeping through the corridors felt sharper than before. Blackthorne Manor remained beautifully elegant beneath the candlelit gloom, but the atmosphere had changed completely since dinner.
The manor was afraid.
Evelyn noticed it in the servants' hurried footsteps, in the tightened expressions of the guards stationed along the halls, in the way conversations stopped the moment anyone approached. Even the chandeliers seemed dimmer tonight, their golden light struggling against the heavy shadows gathering throughout the estate.
Cassian walked beside her in silence.
For someone so young, he carried tension remarkably well. His expression remained composed, but Evelyn noticed how often his attention shifted toward the windows or distant sounds echoing through the manor.
He was listening constantly.
Waiting.
Worrying.
And pretending not to.
"You've experienced this before," Evelyn said quietly as they climbed the staircase.
Cassian's gaze flickered briefly toward her. "Not like this."
Not comforting.
"What happened before?"
He hesitated.
"The rogues became more aggressive during winter months sometimes," he admitted. "But recently…" His expression darkened slightly. "Things feel wrong."
That word again.
Wrong.
Not dangerous.
Not strange.
Wrong.
As though something beneath the surface of Blackthorne territory had shifted out of place.
By the time they reached the eastern wing, several additional guards had already stationed themselves outside the corridor entrances. Heavy iron gates near the lower staircases had been closed completely.
Evelyn stared openly. "Your house can actually lock down entire sections?"
Cassian looked mildly confused by her shock. "Most Alpha manors can."
Of course they could.
Why was she even surprised anymore?
Mina guided them toward the sitting room near Evelyn's chambers, where a fire had already been prepared. The warmth inside offered some relief from the oppressive tension outside, though not enough to fully settle her nerves.
The maid bowed quickly. "Please remain here until further instructions arrive."
Cassian nodded once.
The moment Mina left, silence returned.
Evelyn moved toward the fireplace slowly, holding her hands near the flames. The warmth seeped pleasantly into her cold skin, though her mind remained restless.
"You know," she murmured after a while, "my previous life had significantly fewer terrifying forests."
Cassian looked over from where he stood near the windows. "You mention your previous life often."
Oops.
Again.
Evelyn wanted to slam her forehead directly into the nearest wall.
She needed to stop speaking like someone who had literally transmigrated into another world.
"It's a habit," she answered carefully.
Cassian studied her quietly.
That look again.
Sharp.
Observant.
Dangerously intelligent.
The future male lead was entirely too perceptive for her comfort.
Before he could continue questioning her, movement outside the windows suddenly caught both their attention.
Torchlights.
Dozens of them.
A procession crossed through the snowy gates of Blackthorne Manor while guards hurried forward to receive them. Even from this distance, Evelyn recognized the imposing figure riding at the front immediately.
Lucien Blackthorne had returned.
Relief moved visibly across Cassian's face before he masked it again almost instantly.
But Evelyn saw it.
And somehow, that brief glimpse of vulnerability affected her more than she expected.
The Alpha dismounted smoothly in the center of the courtyard, snow gathering across the dark shoulders of his coat. Several guards approached him immediately, speaking in urgent low voices while others carried injured wolves toward the western medical wing.
Injured.
Evelyn's stomach tightened.
Lucien lifted his gaze suddenly.
Even across the courtyard below, his eyes found the eastern wing windows immediately.
Found them immediately.
Or rather --
Found her.
Evelyn froze.
The snowfall blurred most details outside, yet somehow the intensity of his gaze still reached her clearly through the storm. For one long moment neither of them looked away.
Then Lucien turned sharply toward one of the guards beside him, his expression hardening into something dangerous.
The atmosphere in the courtyard shifted instantly.
Every wolf around him straightened.
Even from the second floor, Evelyn could feel the sheer force of authority radiating from the Alpha King of Blackthorne Pack.
Cassian moved toward the door immediately.
"I'm going downstairs."
Evelyn looked toward him. "Your father literally ordered you to stay away from the northern sector."
"He didn't forbid the courtyard."
That was technically true.
Annoyingly true.
Before Evelyn could argue further, the corridor doors opened abruptly.
A guard stepped inside, visibly breathless from running through the manor.
"Young Master -- Madam Evelyn," he said quickly. "The Alpha requests your presence immediately."
The room fell silent.
Cassian frowned slightly. "Both of us?"
"Yes."
Something about the guard's expression unsettled Evelyn instantly.
Not fear.
Alarm.
A cold feeling settled heavily in her chest.
Because suddenly she knew.
Whatever Lucien had encountered beyond the northern forest tonight --
it was bad enough that he wanted both of them present before dawn.