MELISSA’S POV

The moment the words left his mouth, “I own you,” something inside me snapped.

For a heartbeat, the training field blurred. I forced my voice to stay calm, though my hands trembled.

“Is that what you think this is, Joem? Ownership?”

He didn’t answer immediately. The muscles in his jaw worked, and his eyes, those cold, infuriatingly unreadable eyes, locked on mine.

“I think,” he said slowly, “you have forgotten who you are speaking to.”

My wolf bristled. He was using his Alpha tone on me, though he wasn’t using it fully, not enough to compel me, but enough to remind me what he was.

I took a...