Alexis
I smiled, savoring the feeling of control. Alex couldn’t take his eyes off me, like I was the last drop of water he desperately needed. I basked in the attention. It was something I hadn't felt in so long.
I’d spent years in the shadows, never the most beautiful or the most popular. Far from ugly, but I wasn’t the girl who turned heads. Now, though, my mate admired and craved me. It made me feel powerful—like I was finally the center of someone’s universe.
The party went on, and I kept doing my thing, all while soaking up Alex’s gaze. We didn’t need words; the way our eyes locked said everything. The chemistry burned between us, even though we stood apart. Hell, if Valen weren’t born, I might have ditched everything and run to Alex.
But then I looked away, just for a second, an
