Beta Julian's Daughter

The world paused the moment Zander delivered his deadly ultimatum. The air in the room grew thick and suffocating, wrapping around my throat like a physical weight that pressed the breath right out of my lungs. Zander’s sharp claws dug deep into the fragile flesh of my neck, piercing the thin skin with brutal precision. A warm trickle of blood slid down my throat, staining his calloused fingers. I