CHAPTER FORTY
The air is thick with tension, the scent of pine and impending violence weaving an intoxicating mix that sets my heart pounding against my ribcage. I stand beside Alex, our focus locked on the clearing where Mark, my former husband and Alpha, faces off against Gem.
"Mark's got this," Alex whispers, but his voice carries a note of uncertainty. His blue eyes flicker to mine for a brief second, filled with a storm of concern and something else—something warm and electric that makes my pulse skip despite the gravity of the situation.
"Of course, he does," I say more confidently than I feel, pushing back the flutter in my stomach stirred by Alex's unintentional charm.
Gem moves like liquid shadow, her brown hair a dark banner behind her as she lunges at Mark with a ferocity th
