His head snapped towards the door. It took a split second for his brain to register that the scream belonged to Kira.
Instinct didn't just kick in; it exploded. Leo surged forward beneath his skin; coarse black fur rippled along his forearms, his claws burst through his fingertips, ready to tear anything apart as he bolted from the study and took the stairs three at a time.
He burst into the bedroom to find Kira thrashing wildly underneath the sheets, her voice raw with terror.
"No! No! Untie me!" she wailed, her hands clawing at the sheet that had tangled around her. "There's fire… fire! It's burning! Please!"
Leo receded instantly as Derek realised there was no physical threat to fight. The monster was inside her head. She was trapped in a night terror.
He crossed the room in two strides, peeled the sheets away from her and caught her flailing wrists before she could hurt herself. "Hey, hey, hey," he said, voice low and steady. "Kira. It's me. You're safe."
