"It’s all right, Alpha Baron.” she said, forcing her voice steady. “Please… let the Alpha speak.”
Baron’s eyes snapped to hers—sharp, questioning.
Something in them burned, but he said nothing.
He stepped back slowly, his jaw tight, reins snapping taut in his grip.
If the gesture was meant to be deferential, it wasn’t.
Every line of his body screamed indignant.
Haspan moved into the space without hesitation, the air carrying his scent forward in a heavy wave. He loomed close enough that Elowyn could see the faint white scar along his jaw.
Haspan didn’t waste time with pleasantries. He leaned in, eyes raking over Elowyn with a slow, assessing cruelty, the corner of his mouth twitching in a smile that wasn’t a smile at all.
Then, without looking at her, he turned his head toward the
