Meanwhile,

Author

Julian had been watching from the moment Chloe stepped toward Aria, his every nerve stretched tight as a bowstring.

He had seen the way Aria listened without leaning in, without softening, without giving even an inch of ground. He had seen the exact second she turned and walked away, leaving Chloe standing alone in the middle of the hall with her sweet smile frozen on her face.

He had seen the whispers start, the way Alphas exchanged confused glances, the way elders leaned together and murmured things he could not hear but already feared. Most of all, he had seen the respect - the real, unfeigned respect -...