HAYES
The wood of the study door shut as I slammed it behind me. Nilah didn't even look up from the mahogany desk. She was leaning over the maps, a red pen between her fingers, tracing the northern supply lines. She had a small, satisfied smile on her face that made Kyle pace behind my ribs with raw, lethal aggression.
"Get away from the desk," I said.
My voice was too quiet, too level. Nilah paused, dropping the pen onto the paper with a soft thud. She stood up straight, turning around to face me, her dark eyes scanning my rigid posture and clenched fists.
"Don't take your frustration out on me, Hayes," she said, her tone smooth and entirely unbothered. "I didn't force your little mate to lose her mind. I went up there to offer her a proper introduction, and she jumped at my throat l
