The tension on the field snapped like a brittle twig.

Luke closed the distance between us in a heartbeat, his massive frame moving with a terrifying blend of speed and raw power. He lunged forward, throwing a heavy left hook meant to test my reflexes. I didn't try to block it—absorbing that kind of kinetic energy from a male Alpha, even one suppressing his aura, was a rookie mistake.

Instead, I ducked beneath the arc of his arm, letting the wind of his fist whistle past my ear. Using his own momentum against him, I swept my right leg out, catching him right behind the knee.

He stumbled, but his...