A low, guttural sound reverberated through both chambers at once — a sound that wasn't human.
It was a snarl.
It was a call.
It was a connection.
Livia froze mid-breath, her eyes glowing with a sudden burst of gold as Lilly surged forward, snarling back. Across the fortress, Alaric's golden gaze burned brighter, his fangs bared as his wolf answered the call with a deep, rumbling growl.
The air itself shifted. The walls seemed to hum as two primal forces reached for one another — not through touch, not through words, but through the raw, unbreakable language of instinct.
Mate.
Mine.
Come to me.
Livia's body trembled, the chains biting into her wrists as she leaned forward, straining toward a presence that wasn't there. Alaric mirrored her on the other side, muscles coiled and trembling, his body pressing so hard against the restraints that they groaned and split.
