Chapter 46 – The Locked Door Was Never Locked
I ran. Every step pounded against my chest, every breath a knife through my lungs. The frost-bitten wind whipped across the mountainside as I sprinted toward the fortress, ignoring the ache in my legs, ignoring the burn in my ribs. My mind was a cyclone of fury, fear, and disbelief. Isolade—gone. My guards sworn loyal, the doors watched, yet she had vanished.
I reached the fortress gates and barely slowed, vaulting the threshold into the inner courtyard. The guards jumped back, startled by the speed I moved.
"What happened?" one of them asked. Fear and uncertainty lacing his tone.
"Tell me she didn't leave this place," I demanded, voice sharp, eyes scanning for any sign of betrayal.
"No, Alpha," another said, stepping forward. "We… we never left her chamber. The door was locked. Guarded. We didn't—" His voice faltered.
"Then how?" I growled. "How does a council member just vanish under your noses?"
