{Third Person}
At first, it was barely anything.
A faint disturbance in the air, subtle enough that it would have gone unnoticed by anyone without heightened senses.
The room itself remained unchanged, quiet except for the low tension that had already settled within it.
Then Alexander stopped moving. One mont, he was pacing; the next, he had gone completely still, as though sothing inside him had suddenly locked into place.
His head lifted slightly, and his nostrils flared as he drew in a slow, deliberate breath. Then another, this ti, sharper.
Jasper noticed imdiately. The change in Alexander was too sudden to ignore. The restless agitation from before had vanished, replaced by sothing far more focused.
His entire posture shifted, his body tightening as though he had just caught hold of sothing real, sothing worth pursuing.
A low growl began to build in his chest, deep and steady, vibrating faintly through the air.
Jasper’s expression darkened. He followed Alexander’s gaze, then inhaled subtly, and realization struck almost instantly.
Fresh blood. And it was far too close.
"That shouldn’t be here," Jasper muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.
Alexander moved. This ti, there was nothing aimless about it. Each step he took was slow and deliberate, his attention locked entirely in one direction.
The agitation that had plagued him earlier had sharpened into sothing far more dangerous, sothing guided by instinct rather than discomfort.
Jasper stepped forward at once and positioned himself in Alexander’s path. "Your Highness," he said, his tone firm.
There was no response. Alexander continued forward.
"Stop," Jasper added, his voice carrying more authority this ti.
The wolf did not obey. Instead, the growl deepened, heavier now, edged with irritation at being blocked.
His body shifted forward again, tension rolling off him in waves as the scent continued to pull at him, stronger with every passing second.
Jasper held his ground, but his mind had already moved ahead. This was no accident.
Soone had brought that scent here deliberately, knowing exactly what it would do.
Before he could say anything further, Alexander surged forward with sudden force, attempting to push past him.
Jasper moved aside just in ti, choosing not to engage him directly in that state. Stopping him by force now would only make things worse.
Instead, Jasper turned imdiately and headed out fast.
The mont he stepped outside, the scent hit him more clearly. There was no mistaking it now. It was indeed fresh blood.
His eyes swept across the courtyard and toward the outer path, scanning with precision until he found the source.
A servant.
The man was walking quickly, but not quickly enough, carrying sothing wrapped in a cloth poorly. Dark stains had already soaked through, and the tallic scent lingered unmistakably in the air.
Jasper did not hesitate. Within seconds, he closed the distance and seized the man from behind, slamming him hard against the wall.
The impact knocked the breath out of the servant, and a panicked gasp escaped him before he could even understand what was happening.
Jasper’s hand closed around his throat, not crushing yet, but firm enough to hold him in place.
"Who sent you?" he asked quietly.
The servant’s eyes widened in terror. "I—I was just—"
The grip tightened slightly, and the lie died in his throat.
Jasper leaned in just enough for his voice to drop lower, colder. "Answer carefully."
The servant’s composure broke imdiately. "S-Second Prince!" he blurted out, his voice trembling.
That was all the confirmation Jasper needed. There was no change in his expression, no hesitation, and no warning.
His hand shifted, and a sharp crack followed. The servant’s body went limp at once.
Jasper released him without a second glance, allowing the lifeless body to fall to the ground at his feet.
For a brief mont, he stood there, his gaze shifting to the blood-soaked bundle the man had been carrying.
Without ceremony, he bent down, picked it up, and flung it far beyond the residence grounds, ensuring the scent would no longer linger so strongly near the estate.
Still, he knew it would not erase what had already been done.
Straightening, Jasper’s expression returned to its usual calm, but his eyes had hardened. "Lord Zarek," he murmured under his breath.
It could only be him.
Without wasting another second, Jasper turned and headed back inside, already preparing himself for what awaited him. Since Alexander had caught that scent, whatever control he had left was already slipping.
He had barely stepped past the entrance when a deep, thunderous growl tore through the air.
Jasper stopped imdiately. That sound was no longer contained within the room. It ca from outside.
His expression hardened instantly as he broke into a run, cutting through the corridor and heading straight for the courtyard. The mont he stepped out, the sight before him confird his fear.
Alexander had already broken free. The massive black wolf stood in the open courtyard, his presence overwhelming as his chest rose and fell heavily.
His dark fur bristled, and his golden eyes burned with a sharp, dangerous focus directed toward the fading trace of blood beyond the residence.
The guards had ford a wide circle around him. They kept their distance, their movents controlled and disciplined, their weapons drawn but not raised.
Every single one of them was alert, ready to react at the slightest sign of aggression, yet none dared to provoke him.
The tension in the air was suffocating.
Jasper stepped forward imdiately, his voice cutting cleanly through the silence. "Hold your positions."
No one moved or spoke.
Alexander shifted slightly, and that alone caused the formation to tighten.
A low, warning growl rolled from his chest, deep and threatening, vibrating through the courtyard as his claws pressed into the stone beneath him.
Jasper felt the weight of the mont settle heavily on his shoulders.
If Alexander forced his way through, there was nothing here that could stop him. Worse still, if this spilled beyond the residence and into the open palace grounds, the consequences would be far-reaching.
That could not be allowed.
"Your Highness," Jasper called, his tone steady but firm.
The wolf did not turn. His attention remained fixed ahead, his instincts still chasing the scent that had already begun to fade.
The agitation within him had only sharpened into sothing more dangerous.
Jasper stepped closer, careful but deliberate. "You are not leaving this residence in this state," he stated.
Another growl answered him, sharper this ti, edged with clear irritation.
Jasper did not retreat. He continued, choosing his words carefully, "I will handle it. I will hunt and bring sothing back for you myself."
That earned him a reaction. Alexander’s head shifted slightly, just enough to acknowledge him.
Jasper held onto that mont and pressed forward. "You will not step outside the palace today," he repeated.
For a brief mont, everything hung in balance, then Alexander turned. The shift in the courtyard was imdiate. The guards did not lower their guard, but the tension eased just enough for breath to return to the air.
Jasper allowed himself a quiet exhale. "Please, go inside," he added, more firmly now.
Alexander took a step, then another. He began moving back toward the residence.
Relief—cautious and restrained, started to settle until it broke. Because instead of heading toward his own side, Alexander veered.
Jasper’s expression tightened imdiately. "No—"
But the word ca too late.
The wolf’s movent changed, becoming faster and more decisive as he cut across the courtyard, heading directly toward the connecting wing. Toward Amara’s side.
"Stop him!" Jasper ordered sharply.
The guards moved at once, but none of them was fast enough.
Alexander reached the entrance in seconds and forced his way through, the doors swinging open violently under the impact.
Inside, panic erupted. Servants scattered imdiately, startled cries filling the air as trays fell and shattered against the floor.
The sudden intrusion sent them fleeing in all directions, desperate to get out of his path.
The sheer force of his presence overwheld the space.
Jasper and the guards rushed in after him, but by then, the situation had already shifted beyond containnt.
---
Amara’s room door shattered.
The force behind it sent the wood slamming against the wall as the hinges gave way, the sound echoing violently through the room.
Amara barely had ti to turn when she saw the massive black wolf standing at the entrance, its body filling the doorway, its presence suffocating as it stepped inside.
Its fur was dark as night, its fra powerful, overwhelming, and its golden eyes burned with sothing wild—sothing unstable.
For a second, she froze. Then fear hit her all at once. A sharp scream tore out of her throat before she could stop it.
"Ahhh!!!"
Her body reacted on instinct as she scrambled backwards on the bed, clutching Ginger tightly against her chest, her heart pounding so violently it felt like it might burst.
"Stay back!" she cried, though her voice trembled.
Ginger reacted imdiately. It twisted in her arms, fur standing on end, a sharp hiss cutting through the air as it broke free and jumped in front of her.
Its small body arched, standing between Amara and the wolf without hesitation, its warning clear despite the size difference.
The contrast was almost absurd. A small cat, facing sothing that could tear it apart in seconds.
But it did not retreat.
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