WILLOW'S POV.
I stood watching as he stepped out from the shadows, the moonlight catching his face. He looked extra cold and sharp tonight, like carved stone brought to life. His gray eyes locked on me, unreadable.
Neither of us spoke at first; we just stood there staring at each other.
“Alpha,” I said finally, keeping my voice calm. Then, without bothering with another word, I turned to leave.
“Wait.”
His voice sounded behind me. It wasn’t a command—it wasn’t even his usual Alpha tone. It sounded more like something that happened on instinct, like his mouth had spoken first before the brain caught up.
When his hand brushed my arm to stop me as I tried to walk past him, my body reacted before my mind did. I jerked away, spinning back to face him. Our eyes locked, and for a moment, ne
