Asher didn’t wait until we were inside.
The moment the words left my mouth, he steered me away from the open training grounds and toward a quieter path that led behind the pack house. His hand never quite touched me, but the controlled tension in his body made the air feel tight. The fractured bond reacted immediately, pulling harder with every step.
Only when we were out of easy earshot did he stop and turn to face me fully.
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
I did. The masked scent. The woman on the ridge. Her calm delivery of Selene’s message. The invitation wrapped in quiet warning. Asher listened without interrupting, but his expression grew darker with every detail. By the time I finished, a muscle was ticking steadily in his jaw.
“She’s escalated faster than I expected,” he said.
