Phantom surged inside me as
minic tackled Aria from behind, slamming her to the ground. Seeing him pin her down, his face moving close to hers like he owned her, made my vision go red.
My body was already moving, a growl tearing from my throat that silenced the entire training ground. The sound vibrated through the clearing, heavy with Alpha power that made every wolf present drop their gaze and freeze in place. But before I could reach them, Aria made her move.
The crack of her forehead connecting with Dominic’s face echoed across the training ground. She followed with a perfectly executed strike to his sternum that left him gasping. In one fluid motion that spoke of years of training, she reversed their positions and was on her feet, knife drawn from her boot with lethal grace.
–
The sight of her standing over him, blade steady at his throat, eyes blazing with righteous fury it was magnificent. Phantom howled his approval inside me, a sound of pure admiration for–the strength and skill of our mate. I stopped, transfixed by the tableau before me.
I approached her as she turned away, drawn by an irresistible force. The scent of her adrenaline–tinged blood reached me before I saw the small trickle running from her brow. Something possessive and primal flared within me at the sight of her injury.
“Are you okay?” The words came out softer than I’d intended, intimate in a way that surprised even me.
Her green eyes met mine, wary but steady. The flutter of her pulse at her throat betrayed her nervousness, though her voice remained calm as she apologized for disrupting training.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” I assured her, unable to keep the Alpha authority from my tone. I gentled my voice deliberately. “Your reaction was entirely appropriate.”
My gaze fixed on the thin line of blood making its way down her temple. “You’re bleeding.”
Before I could stop myself, my hand moved of its own accord. My thumb brushed gently across her skin, wiping away the blood. The contact sent a jolt of awareness through me her skin impossibly soft under my calloused touch, warm and alive. I felt her slight intake of breath, saw her pupils dilate ever so slightly as our eyes locked.
–
“This needs attention,” I said, my voice dropping to almost a whisper
I could hear her heart hammering in her chest, matching the rhythm of my own. For a moment, we just stood there, locked in some strange gravitational pull that seemed to shut out everything else around us.
“I–I’m okay,” she finally managed, taking a small step back. “It’ll heal.”
“Wait,” I said, noticing her eyes dart nervously around the field. “You’re not in trouble, Aria. If anything, I should be apologizing for Dominic’s behavior.”
Relief visibly washed over her face. “Oh… I thought maybe I’d broken some pack rule about fighting or something.”
“No, but maybe you should call it a day,” I suggested, wanting her away from Dominic and the curious stares of my pack. “Head injuries, even small ones, shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
“Okay. Thanks.” She hesitated, then added, “I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t mean to disrupt your training session.”
“Don’t be,” I said firmly. “If anyone ever touches you in a way you don’t like, feel free to beat the shit out of them. Pack rules or
not.”
That earned me a small smile that hit me like a physical blow. “Thank you, Alpha.”
1/2
Chapter 13
I watched her walk away, fighting every instinct that screamed at me to follow her.
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