No longer a passive observer, he would pursue me, and I would face him head-on.
One hour until dawn. One hour until we faced the council with Silvermoon's agents embedded within it.
The spy trap was in motion. Three different stories fed to three different council members through carefully controlled channels. Now we waited to see which version reached Gideon first.
Darius stood at the window. Watching the darkness fade toward gray. His wolf paced beneath his skin. Restless. Protective. Something had shifted in him over these past hours.
Through the bond, I felt it clearly. The decision he'd made. The line he'd crossed internally.
No more standing back. No more measured distance. No more pretending the bond was just tactical advantage.
"You're different," I said quietly.
He turned. Met my eyes. "So are you."
"How am I different?"
