Elliot's arm tensed subtly as he sat opposite Hayley, but he didn't flinch or swipe her hand away. His instincts—Alpha instincts—were alert, keyed into every scent, every subtle movement. Yet something else caught him—my laughter, the man across from me who had drawn it out, a lesser wolf in the midst of this gathering of Alphas.
When I looked up, my senses prickled. Elliot and Hayley were walking straight toward me. My heart tightened—not from fear, but from the sharp spike of territorial awareness that only came when another Alpha approached my space. My table had just been cleared, and a cold calculation ran through me. They're not going to sit here, are they?
Hayley's eyes found mine, smug and predatory, and she sashayed over, letting her scent mark the air around her in a subtle, possessive way. "I didn't know you were here, Anastasia!" she said, her tone sweet yet sharp, like a wolf testing territory.
