Chapter 217: Evident Changes

{Third Person}

Alexander woke up this morning feeling lighter than usual.

It was not the first time he had experienced the strange sensation. In fact, he had been noticing it for several weeks now.

Some mornings, he would wake up and realise that the heaviness that had followed him for years was not as pronounced as it normally was.

His breathing became easier, his body felt less exhausted, and his mind seemed clearer. However, he had never known why.

He had tried not to think too deeply about it. There was no point getting his hopes up over something he could not understand.

After dressing for his morning run, Alexander left the house and headed into the woods surrounding the estate. The early morning air was cool, and a thin mist still lingered between the trees.

Once he was far enough from the house, he shifted. His wolf emerged with unusual ease.

The moment his paws touched the ground, he felt a rush of excitement. His wolf wanted to run, so he did.

Alexander sprinted through the woods, weaving between the trees at a pace that would challenge an ordinary wolf. However, something instantly drew his focus.

His breathing stayed steady, and there was no usual chest tightness. Although his heart was pounding from exertion, it didn’t seem like his body was fighting itself.

More surprising was the behaviour of his wolf.

In the past few months, and even throughout the years before that, excitement had almost always brought out the worst in him. His wolf could become aggressive over the smallest things, especially when his emotions rose suddenly.

There had been times when the slightest provocation was enough to make him lose control, and anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby could end up injured.

This morning, however, his wolf was simply happy to run. There was excitement, but there was no aggression. There was energy, but there was no urge to fight.

Alexander noticed the difference, but he refused to dwell on it. He had learned a long time ago not to give himself hope over things he could not explain, so he continued running until he had completed his usual route.

When he finally slowed down, a familiar scent caught his attention. He stopped in his tracks. The scent was unmistakable. It had to be Amara.

His wolf instinctively followed it, carrying him away from the woods and toward the garden.

A few minutes later, he saw her. She stood among the flowers with a woven basket hanging from one arm. She was carefully selecting a few flowers and placing them inside, apparently unaware that anyone was close.

Alexander took another step forward.

Amara was drawn to the movement behind her and turned around. The sight of a large wolf standing only a short distance away sent a scream from her lips.

"Argh!!!"

Alexander paused abruptly, momentarily forgetting he was still in his wolf form. He quickly reverted to his human form.

At the same time, several guards rushed into the garden after hearing Amara’s scream.

"Go back," Alexander ordered.

The guards immediately bowed. "Yes, Your Highness." Then they turned and left without another word.

Alexander looked toward Amara. She was still breathing rapidly, one hand pressed against her chest as she tried to calm herself.

"I’m sorry," he apologized. "I forgot you were here."

Amara lifted her gaze to him. She forced a small smile and straightened herself. "I suppose I overreacted. I am fine now."

Alexander studied her for a moment before giving a slight nod. "Breakfast will be served soon. Don’t be late."

"I won’t," she replied.

He turned and walked away.

Amara watched him disappear toward the house before releasing a deep breath. That had been only the second time in her life that she had seen Alexander in his wolf form.

Of course she had been frightened.

She lived among werewolves, but that did not mean she frequently saw them shift. In fact, she could hardly remember seeing any of them in their wolf forms since arriving in the kingdom.

Perhaps they were simply being careful around her because they knew she was human and did not want to frighten her.

Whatever the reason, Amara decided not to think about it anymore. She returned her attention to the flowers and continued picking until she had enough for several vases.

By the time she returned to the house, the smell of breakfast had already spread through the halls.

She took a few empty vases and carefully arranged the flowers she had picked. She filled each one with fresh water before placing the arrangements around the house herself.

She put one in the centre of the dining room table and another on the centre table in the sitting room.

When she reached the last vase, she hesitated. She had never actually entered Alexander’s study before.

After thinking about it for a moment, she decided not to take it there herself. She found Jasper instead.

"Could you please put this in His Highness’s study for me?"

Jasper accepted the vase with a polite bow. "Of course, Lady Amara."

"Thank you."

With that settled, Amara returned to her room to freshen up before breakfast.

---

When Alexander came out for breakfast, the first thing that caught his attention was the vase of fresh flowers sitting at the centre of the dining table.

He recognised them immediately and stopped in his tracks.

They were the same flowers he had seen Amara picking in the garden earlier that morning. He had wondered what she intended to do with them, and now he had his answer.

He took his seat without commenting on it.

A few minutes later, Amara entered the dining room and sat beside him. Neither of them mentioned the flowers, and breakfast began quietly as usual.

They had barely eaten for a few minutes when a familiar voice came from the entrance.

"It has been so long since I visited this house. Did anyone miss me?"

Amara looked up and smiled as Barron walked into the dining room with his usual cheerful expression.

"Welcome, Lord Barron."

"Barron, please." His face brightened immediately. "At least someone is happy to see me."

Then, he turned his attention toward Alexander, who continued eating without looking particularly impressed by his arrival.

"What brought you here today?" Alexander asked.

Barron pulled out a chair for himself and sat down. "I missed you."

Alexander finally lifted his eyes. "You missed me?"