Scarlet
The air was thick with the scent of rain, the dampness clinging to my skin as I leaned against the old oak tree near the packhouse. My heart pounded steadily, but it wasn’t from the training session I’d just finished. No, it was because of him.
Damien.
I wiped the sweat from my brow, trying to focus on the steady rhythm of my breathing instead of the chaos swirling inside my head. He was messing with me. I was sure of it. And the worst part? I didn’t know why.
It wasn’t like anything had changed, not really. He was still the same arrogant Alpha-to-be, the same cold-hearted jerk who had made it his life’s mission to remind me of my rank—or lack of one. But something felt... different.
The past few weeks had been strange. Subtle things, barely noticeable at first. Like how the p
