I couldn't help but soften as I leaned against Elliot's chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat grounding me in a way I hated how much I understood. It wasn't just sound—it was presence, Alpha certainty, something my instincts kept circling like it recognized a safe den.
Elliot turned slightly and pressed a kiss into my hair, slow and unguarded, like a wolf reclaiming warmth he had been denied for too long. The gesture sent a quiet shiver through me, not fear, not rejection—something far more dangerous.
His chest was broad beneath my cheek, solid in a way that made my instincts quiet down without permission. It felt like there was nothing in the world that could reach me here, nothing that could break through this enclosed space of him. When had I started accepting safety like this from him?
