Dylan's POV
Alpha Luke's smile never wavered, but I could sense a flicker of annoyance behind his eyes. "Of course, Alpha," he said, bowing his head slightly. "I wouldn't want to intrude in your...pack business."
With that, he turned and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Ava and I alone in the gardens. The tension between us was still palpable, but I knew I had to try and bridge the gap between us.
"Ava, I—" I tried to reach for her hand, but she cut me off with a raised hand.
"Alpha, please," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't think I can talk about this right now. I need some time to think, to process everything that's happened."
I took a deep, slow breath, something I usually did when I tried to rein in my anger. But my anger wasn't because of Ava. It was be
