~LAUREN’S POV~

“Step away from her.”

The voice sliced through the air like it had teeth. I froze. Because I knew that voice.

Alexandro.

I turned toward him, my stomach twisting in a way that had nothing to do with fear, and everything to do with *him.*

He stood there, his green eyes burning with something sharp and dangerous. It was the kind of look that made you feel like the earth might split open beneath your feet.

Patrick’s grip on my arm loosened. Only slightly. But I felt it.

The shift. Like even he wasn’t sure if he should move.

Nobody spoke. Not at first. The silence between us...