Chapter Thirty nine

My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs, each beat echoing the frantic yearning within me. Homesickness, a sharp pang I hadn't anticipated, had taken hold. The grand palace corridors, once simply unfamiliar, now felt like a suffocating cage, the gilded walls amplifying the hollowness inside. Staff bowed their heads in respectful greetings as I hurried past, their polite murmurs momentarily lost in the roar of my thoughts.

Finally, at the end of the seemingly endless corridor, stood a familiar figure – Samuel, my brother. Relief flooded me, warm and welcome. With a joyous cry, I practically flung myself at him, burying my face in the familiar warmth of his embrace.

"Samuel!" I exclaimed, the pent-up emotions threatening to spill over. "Good to see you, Alpha Samuel."

He chuckled, squeezing me back tightly. "The feeling is mutual, little sister. I've missed you greatly."