They did not move immediately.
That was the part most wolves would have gotten wrong.
When something was taken, instinct demanded reaction. Movement. Noise. A chase that proved strength through speed. Rowan expected that. She had built her approach around it, counting on the pack to fracture into urgency, to split focus between defense and pursuit, to create exactly the kind of openings she needed next.
Cassian gave her none of it.
The great hall did not empty. The doors did not slam. No orders were shouted down corridors. Instead, the structure held, quiet but deliberate, as if nothing had changed beyond a single missing presence. Food continued to be served. Guards rotated on schedule. Voices stayed low but steady. Anyone watching from outside would have seen continuity, not disruption.
Inside, everything had sharpened.
