VANESSA
"Don't ever touch another man like that in front of me."
The audacity of Roman's words ignited something primal within me. His golden-brown eyes were nearly glowing with possession, his massive frame blocking my path back to the mansion. The echo of his territorial roar still hung in the air.
"Excuse me?" I said, voice low and dangerous. "That's my brother."
Roman's jaw clenched, a muscle twitching beneath his skin. "I don't care."
I stepped closer, refusing to be intimidated. "You have no right. None."
"I have every right," he growled. "You're my—"
"Don't you dare say it," I hissed. "I am not yours. Not anymore."
The sound of footsteps rushing down the stairs behind us barely registered. My entire focus was locked on the man before me, the man who'd once been my entire world. The man who'd shattered it.
"Vanessa," Leo called, his voice tight with Alpha authority. "Step away from him."
