CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Leaves rustle gently above us, a quiet whispering that seems to echo the racing thoughts in my mind. Alec's hand is warm in mine, his thumb tracing lazy circles on my skin as we sit against the rough bark of an ancient oak. The forest around us is alive with the moonlight filtering through the canopy, casting dappled shadows across his sharp features.
"Marcus is my father’s right-hand man,” Alec says. “He boasts about how fast he is, but I actually beat him at a race once when I was ten.”
I let out a laugh, imagining the scene. "And let me guess, he hasn't let you live it down since?"
"Exactly," he chuckles. "He brings it up every chance he gets."
As he shares snippets of his life, I'm drawn into the warmth of his memories, the camaraderie and challenges of pack lif
