Alaric's POV
Humans were easy to read — they carried their emotions on their skin like perfume, leaving trails of fear, desire, and irritation for anyone with a nose sharp enough to smell.
Odette, though… she was something else.
I leaned further back in my seat, one arm slung lazily over the chair as I watched my man approach her. Every movement of his was precise, deliberate, trained — the kind of confidence that made mortals lean closer without realizing they were being drawn in.
But not her.
The moment he opened his mouth, I knew she was going to be a problem.
"Oh, wow," he said smoothly, flashing that practiced smirk. "What's a pretty lady like you doing here all by yourself?"
The wolves surrounding her stiffened at once. Even from here, I could feel the shift in their breathing, the ripple of tension running through the air like a plucked string.
Good.
