NOLAN POV
The forest stretched around me, vast and unchanging, yet something felt different today. I wasn’t alone.
I could feel him before I saw him. Jace had a way of making his presence known, whether intentional or not. His scent carried on the breeze—fresh cedar and something distinctly alpha. It was familiar, grounding, but today it was also laced with curiosity, suspicion even. He was searching for something, and I had a feeling I knew exactly what.
I exhaled slowly as he stepped into view, hands in his pockets, his expression caught somewhere between amusement and scrutiny. He always had that easy confidence about him, but I knew when he was testing the waters.
“You’ve been spending a lot of time with her,” he remarked casually, though I caught the weight behind his words. He wa
