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l's interim clinical supervisor on behalf of the National Medical Oversight Board." Someone coughed softly. Another man stared, wide-eyed. One of the senior board members leaned forward, visibly pale. "Dr. Vale...?" "That's right." I let the name settle. "I've been appointed by the regional health council and endorsed by the national board. My role is to audit clinical protocol, review administrative decisions, and oversee current training standards across all departments." A younger woman on the left shuffled through her agenda. "We... we weren't informed who the liaison would be." "You were informed," I said, keeping my tone even. "You just weren't told my name." A murmur ran through the room again. I didn't flinch. "I'll be reviewing policy compliance, training assessments, and internal case procedures over the last six years," I continued. "I'll also be conducting oversight on departmental operations and evaluating leadership performance across this facility." One of the legal officers raised a brow. "That's... quite a wide scope." "I'm aware," I said simply. "I've done it before." The door opened behind me. Footsteps. Then silence. I knew it before I turned. Leon. He stood in the doorway, halfway into the room. He looked the same-and different. Sharper jaw. Broader shoulders. The same eyes, still golden. Still unreadable. His gaze locked on me. And for a split second, everything in the room stilled. The moment Leon stepped into the room, something sharp and ancient stirred inside me. A low, restless pulse clawed at my chest-hot and sudden, like a match striking dry bark. My wolf. Buried for five long years, buried beneath science and steel and survival. Now, she slammed against the walls I'd built inside me, clawing toward the surface. Because he was here. Because she still remembered him. I shut my eyes for half a second-breathed in