Jace’s piercing gaze rested on me as if he could see right through my carefully constructed mask. My pulse quickened, and I resisted the urge to fidget under his scrutiny. He wasn’t just a Beta—he was his pack’s Beta, someone who demanded respect and rarely missed a thing. I cursed myself internally for slipping up.
When did I become so reckless? I’d dealt with high-stakes situations before; weaving lies so seamlessly that even the sharpest of minds never caught on. But Jace? He was different. His instincts were too sharp, his presence too commanding. He wasn’t just noticing; he was probing, testing the boundaries of what I’d let him see.
I needed to find a way out of this before his curiosity turned into suspicion—or worse, anger. I’d seen what happened to those who crossed a Beta of hi
