Elliot's eyes locked on me, sharp and unyielding, and I could feel the primal warning radiating from him, like the low growl of an Alpha asserting territory. "Anastasia, I won't allow you to toy with Nigel's bond. If you don't care about him, then don't lie to him," he said, each word heavy with pack instinct, his slightly smoky breath brushing my face.
I turned my head away, instinctively recoiling from the intensity, and said firmly, "I'm not playing with his bond. We are friends."
His gaze didn't waver. "If you only want friendship, then stop stirring him," Elliot warned, each syllable laced with authority, dominance, and the quiet menace of a true Alpha protecting his pack.
"Why do you care?" I shot back, irritation flaring, my own pack instincts bristling. Why did he think he had a right to interfere in my bond with Nigel?
"I do care," he growled, the sound low, controlled, but filled with a dangerous edge that made my fur stand on end.
