ELENA
The tension, even outside, was suffocating. My fingers curled into my palm as Derek’s grip tightened around my wrist, his touch burning into my skin like an unspoken demand. His golden eyes, once familiar and warm, were now dark with something unreadable—anger, frustration, something else lurking beneath the surface.
I yanked my arm away, taking a step back to put distance between us.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I hissed, keeping my voice low. The last thing I needed was more eyes upon us. The Moonstone pack had already made it clear they weren’t rolling out the red carpet for him.
A spectacle right outside the packhouse doors wouldn’t help.
He exhaled sharply. “We need to talk.”
“There’s nothing left to say.” I turned to walk back inside, but he stepped in front of
