The silence that followed was deafening, and the air seemed to grow colder. Alvaro’s lips curled into the slightest hint of a smile, though there was no mirth behind it, only cruelty.
**"So, they think they can resist."** He paced slowly, his movements almost too fluid, too controlled, like a predator stalking its prey. **"No one resists me for long."** He stopped in front of Darius, his shadow swallowing the kneeling man whole.
**"And the girl?"** Alvaro’s voice dropped even lower, carrying a sinister undertone.
Darius hesitated for a brief moment before speaking. **"She’s… unusual, my lord. Her wolf—"**
**"Unusual?"** Alvaro interrupted, his tone dangerous. He leaned down, his face inches from Darius, and for a split second, his eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire. **"I don’t deal
