Estelle's POV
He didn't respond. He just looked at me.
But there was something in his gaze that left me exposed, as though he had already seen through every defense I had.
"Do you really think I rejected you because of that?" he asked suddenly.
I froze. "Then why?"
The moment the words left my mouth, he stepped forward.
The space between us vanished.
Too close.
Close enough that I could clearly catch his scent—cold, deep, overwhelming, threaded with sandalwood as it filled my lungs.
My wolf shuddered violently. I instinctively tried to step back, but his presence held me in place.
"You smell it?" he said, his voice dropping, almost brushing against my ear, "you're in heat."
My heart sank.
"Your scent," he continued calmly—too calmly—"is practically an invitation to any unbonded
