I narrowed my senses as I settled into the shifting energy around the gathering, a pressure in the air that my instincts immediately recognized as something beyond ordinary. The moment I took my seat beside Elliot Presgrave, the pull of his presence pressed against my awareness, steady and commanding, like an Alpha who didn't need to assert dominance to be felt. His attention drifted toward me more than once, and each time, I could feel an inexplicable warmth rise in response, as though my mood was subtly tied to his.
