uths surrounding Jaxon . She hadn't been looking for this information, but it came to her anyway, like shards of glass sp

s she stood near the edge of the woods. She turned around, recognizing one of the

igning indifference. "Why

e dealing with." Alphas without a mate are like wolves without a pack, always sea

ibrate under her skin, ready to burst. Was this this loneliness, this emptiness he felt? For a moment, she almo

had been taken from him in the cruelest way. Others claimed that his heart had been broken so violently that he had sworn

d sneak in, pierce this armor that he seemed to brandish with every look, with every word he uttered with this

here he liked to meditate away from prying eyes and the weight of his responsibilities. The place was dark, covered in shadows, but she f

ight away, and she took the opportunity to observe him for a moment. In this tranquility, he seemed almost human, less imposin

aid a word. His hard gaze rested on her, and she felt that familiar thr

here? he asked, his

r that she knew would irritate him.

s. "You're asking for trouble, kid. You sh

he didn't really feel. "Maybe I'm not here to p

ut she sensed the underlying tension. "

at be so absurd? I hear things, Jaxon . Everyone

e wanted to see how far she could go, how far she could push him to reveal himself.

nt that she couldn't control. "Do you believe everything they tell you? » His voice was low, almost a whisper, but

chest, almost unconsciously, and she felt his muscles tense under her fingers, this raw strength that he always seemed to co

w a glint of vulnerability in his eyes, a split second where he seemed unsettled

voice hard again, almost sharp. "Approaching som

o back down. "Maybe I'm not

till around them. She didn't know if it was madness, this irresistible attraction she felt for him desp

ssing her cheek. She shivered under his touch, feeling both vulnerable and strangely powerfu

oice laced with a seriousness that made her shud

ive in. "Maybe I want to know."

aying on his lips. "Everyone says th

something, a dark past that haunted him. But she refused to back down. She wanted to

her voice full of challenge. "Sho

distance between them until their breaths mingled, creating an electric tension that seemed to fill the air around them. His

spered, his voice laced with warning. Then, without another word, he turned away, leaving her alone in the dark

d a line, that she had just engaged in a dangerous game, a game whos