That thought made Zara’s chest loosen slightly.

Only slightly.

Then she lowered her eyes again and returned to the pitiful act.

"Then... will you release me?"

Isabella looked at her.

She was quiet for one breath.

Then she smiled gently.

"I do not know yet. I have to speak with Kian."

The moment Kian’s name left her mouth, Zara’s face changed.

It was quick.

Very quick.

But Isabella saw it.

Jealousy.

Sharp and ugly and impossible to hide completely.

So that was still there.

Good.

Isabella had wanted to confirm it. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"I understand," Zara said softly.

Of course she did not.

Isabella smiled one last time and moved toward the door.

Behind her, Zara lowered her head and looked humble.

But Isabella could feel her eyes on her back all the way to the door.

When Isabella stepped outside, the colder corridor air touched her face at once.

Kian was there.

Still waiting.

The moment Isabella stepped out, his blue eyes moved over her face first, then down to her stomach, then to her feet, as if he wanted to make sure she had not been injured during the few moments she had been inside that room. His white hair fell over one side of his face, and because the corridor was cold and quiet, the sharp look in his eyes made him seem even more like a white lion guarding the entrance to his own den.

Isabella saw his expression and knew at once that if she said the wrong thing, he might actually push the door open and drag Zara out by the neck.

So she reached out and touched his arm first.

"She said enough," Isabella said softly.

Kian’s eyes narrowed. "Did she confess?"

"No," Isabella said. "She lied."

The two guards near the door lowered their heads as if they had heard nothing, but their ears were still alert. The wolf beastman’s gray ears twitched slightly, and the lynx beastman’s pale eyes remained fixed on the corridor wall. They were not foolish. In this beast world, guards often heard things they were not supposed to hear, and knowing when to pretend to know nothing was also a skill.

Kian looked at Isabella and waited.

This was one of the things Isabella liked about him, even though she would never admit it too easily. He was cold and bossy and acted like the whole world should stop moving when he frowned, but when she truly had something to say, he listened. He did not rush her. He did not interrupt. He simply watched her with those cold blue eyes and waited for her to give him the part that mattered.

Isabella lowered her voice. "I think an attack may be coming."

Kian’s whole body became still.

It was the kind of stillness that looked small to an ordinary person but meant a lot for a beastman. His shoulders did not move. His breathing slowed. Even the air around him seemed to settle colder.

"When?" he asked.

"She did not give a clear time, but she said things that sounded like heavy snow, slow movement, and people being distracted. She also made it sound like I would become weak first, and my males would be too worried to think clearly."

Kian’s jaw tightened.

That one sentence alone was enough.

Because if an enemy wanted to strike when Isabella was weak, then the attack was not only aimed at the village. It was aimed at the heart of every powerful male protecting it. It was a plan made by people who understood that loyalty could become a weakness if struck at the right moment.

Isabella saw his face and quickly said, "I am not saying we should frighten everyone."

Kian looked at her. "We will prepare quietly."

She nodded at once. "Yes. Change some patrol routes. Watch the food storage. Do not let the watch fires go low. Put people near the weak doors. And if the snow becomes too heavy, do not trust that it is only weather."

Kian listened to every word.

Then he nodded.

There was no doubt in his face. No question about whether she was overthinking. No prideful comment about how he already knew what to do. He simply accepted her warning because he trusted her. That trust made Isabella’s heart feel warm for one brief second, though the warmth was quickly ruined by the fact that her back was hurting again.

Kian noticed that too.

Of course he did.

His eyes dropped to the way her hand slowly moved to her lower back, and his expression immediately changed from cold planning to silent displeasure.

"You have been standing for too long," he said.

Isabella blinked. "I literally just finished warning you about a possible attack."

"And now you will go back."

She stared at him. "Kian."

He stepped closer and placed one hand at her waist. "You are going back."

His tone gave her no room to argue.

Usually Isabella would have argued anyway because she was Isabella and being told what to do made her want to do the opposite just to annoy people. But when she looked at Kian’s face, she realized this was one of those moments where arguing would only make him pick her up in front of the guards, in front of the corridor, in front of the ancestors, and perhaps in front of anyone unlucky enough to breathe nearby.

So she lifted her chin and said, "Fine. But only because I wanted to go back anyway."

Kian looked at her.

Clearly, he did not believe her.

She glared at him. "Do not make that face."

"What face?"

"That face."

His expression did not change. "This is my face."

"That is exactly the problem."

The wolf beastman guard suddenly looked very interested in the stone floor.

The lynx beastman’s lip twitched once then she quickly looked away, which meant she was trying not to react.

Kian ignored both of them and guided Isabella down the corridor. He walked slowly, and this time Isabella did not complain because the pressure in her stomach was beginning to feel heavier again. It was not painful, but it was enough to remind her that the women were right. Her babies were not planning to stay inside forever just because she had things to do.