Two hours.
Bella had been hiding in this stable for two whole hours.
The structure was massive—part of the huge palace complex that had materialized at the back of the Tower's grounds. It was meant for horses, with wooden stalls lining both sides, hay scattered across the floor, and the faint smell of timber still fresh in the air.
But there were no horses. Not yet.
Just Bella. Naked. Terrified. Hiding.
She'd found the furthest stall in the corner, squeezing herself into the shadows behind the closed wooden door. Her silver hair was a mess, sticking to her sweaty skin. Her yellow cat eyes darted nervously, scanning every shadow, listening for any sound.
Her tail wrapped protectively around her waist, the fluffy appendage covering her ass crack like a shield. Her legs trembled. Her heart hammered so hard she could hear it in her ears.
'He's going to find me,' she thought desperately. 'He's going to find me and then he's going to—'
