Elliot's hand clenched hard around his collar as another wave of pain rolled through him, sharp enough to fracture his breathing. His eyes squeezed shut and a low, broken gasp escaped before he could control it. "It hurts…"
Rey's expression changed instantly. He had never seen his Alpha like this—stripped of that usual dominating presence, replaced instead by instability that felt almost like a ruptured mate-bond reaction.
"Should I take you to the hospital?" Rey asked, already reaching for the gear shift, anxiety tightening his voice.
Elliot shook his head once, forcefully. "No. Anastasia's house."
Rey froze. "President Presgrave, this isn't something you ignore. This level of strain—"
"I know my body," Elliot cut in, voice rough but absolute. His eyes stayed closed, jaw tight as if holding himself together by instinct alone. "Drive."
Rey hesitated again, but the shift in Elliot's aura left no room for negotiation. "Understood."
The car pulled forward.
