I was leaning against the glass display when I felt it—heat, close and deliberate, pressing against my back like a living presence. My wolf reacted before I did, senses sharpening as I turned around.
Elliot was standing there.
His stare held mine in a way that made the air between us feel charged, unstable, like the moment before a territorial shift between Alphas. There was no mistaking the intensity in his eyes; it wasn't just desire, it was something deeper, more instinct-driven, something that didn't fully belong to the human part of him.
I understood it too well.
For a man of his age and dominance, restraint was always a battle between instinct and control.
His phone rang sharply, cutting through the moment like a blade. The name flashing on the screen made his expression darken instantly—disgust, cold and absolute.
Hayley.
I saw it too.
