Chapter 45: Protective Instincts
(Steven's POV)
I stood at the edge of the Inter-Pack Unity Games training grounds, my arms crossed tightly over my chest. The air was cold, biting against my skin, but I barely noticed. My eyes refused to stray from her.
Scarlett moved with sharp precision, her elegant hands adjusting the sacred territory markers. She had yet to notice me. Her golden healing energy pulsed faintly, weaving between her fingertips as she worked.
She blocked most of our mate bond, but it didn’t matter. My Alpha senses had no trouble tracking her. Her energy stood out—bright, unique, impossible to miss.
“She appears more confident,” Asher said from beside me, his tone cautious.
“She’s testing herself,” I replied, watching as she instructed a young omega wolf on place
