💠Ilya
And in a room full of Alphas, with his mate bleeding pheromones and vulnerability, if he lost it completely—
I moved before I could second-guess myself.
That would draw too much attention, make it seem like an emergency. Instead, I cut through the crowd with deliberate casualness, angling toward them like I was just passing by.
When I reached them, I stepped directly into Mikhail's line of sight, close enough that he had to acknowledge me but not so close that it would seem like a challenge.
"Mikhail," I said quietly, my voice pitched low enough that only he could hear over the applause. "The council wants a word. Something about the northern border dispute."
It was a lie but it gave him an out.
For a moment, he didn't react. His eyes were still locked on Selene's throat, pupils blown wide, his grip on her waist possessive enough to leave marks.
Then, slowly, his gaze lifted to mine.
The hunger in his eyes made Akela flatten in submission.
