-Alex-
A huge boom pierced the still night air, followed by screams, abruptly ending the meeting that had been taking place. The carriage driver burst into the room, distraught. Upon seeing Katherine Kingsley glowering at him, the young man bobbed his head before looking up with wide eyes. "M-ma'am, the front of the manor is on fire," he stammered out. Well. That was an unexpected turn of events. As Katherine began barking out orders, Alex cast a glance at Delilah. He gave her a nonchalant shrug that hid his uneasy feeling before turning back towards Katherine and the rest of the hunters.

They were ushered up a flight of stairs, and Alex noticed that several servants were working furiously to contain the inferno. Already, flames were licking at the opulent decoration of the front hall, having already demolished the door and part of the wall. Katherine Kingsley and her husband, Philip Kingsley, were nowhere to be found. Alex noticed the carriage driver beckoning them to the servants' entrance, which had escaped the fire-for now. Alex hurried to him, and the young man led him and a few other hunters outside and away to the relative safety of the woods. His heart pounding rapidly in his chest, Alex watched with bated breath as a fleet of servants lugged buckets of water to the fire, attempting to put it out.