Ace crossed the bedroom in two massive strides, the floorboards groaning beneath his weight. The dominant Alpha who had just destroyed a High Elder's legacy outside vanished the moment his eyes landed on Rose.
"Rose," he breathed, dropping to his knees beside the bed.
He reached out, his large hands hovering over hers. He hesitated for the briefest moment before gently cupping her trembling fingers.
The contrast was terrifying.
His warm, calloused palms against her freezing skin.
Her obsidian claws pressing into his flesh.
He didn't flinch, even as the razor-sharp tips pierced his skin, drawing tiny drops of blood.
"Ace, I don't understand," Rose whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek. "My birthday isn't for another week. Aunt Mira said the herbs would hold. She said I still had
