"You can take it from here," Elliot said, his voice calm yet final, carrying the quiet authority of an Alpha who had already made his decision. Without waiting for a response, he rose from his seat and left the room, his presence withdrawing as swiftly as it had filled the space.
The moment he was gone, the pressure lifted. Shoulders eased, breaths that had been held instinctively were released, and the suffocating tension that had gripped the pack dissolved into something more manageable, though traces of his dominance still lingered faintly in the air like an imprint no one could ignore.
Alice's eyes sharpened as soon as the atmosphere settled. "Anastasia, we'll settle this fairly," she said with a faint, challenging smile. "If you beat me, the position is yours."
I met her gaze without flinching. "There's no need for you to give it to me. We'll each rely on our own strength."
