Hayley clutched Elliot's sleeve like a frightened pup clinging to an Alpha, her fingers tight and desperate. From where I stood, I could feel her wolf's panic bleeding into the air, sharp and cloying, laced with something calculated that made my instincts recoil.
"No, Elliot I want you to go to the hospital with me," she said, pouting, her voice trembling as if the world would end if he let go of her.
"I can't go with you," Elliot replied patiently, his Alpha dominance restrained but firm. "I still have things to take care of. Be good and let Rèy take you to the hospital."
Her grip tightened. "No. I want you to go with me, or I won't go at all."
I watched the hesitation cross his face. His wolf was clearly torn duty to the pack, responsibility to an injured member, and the pressure of being Alpha all crashing together. The air felt heavy, tense, like the moment before a fight breaks out.
