Felicia placed the jewelry box on the table with a cautious stillness, but I only saw the silver bracelets inside—cold, polished, and deliberate, like a marked claim within the pack. Elliot stood nearby, his presence steady and dominant in the room, as if every breath here answered to his authority. My instincts reacted before my mind did; in our world, gifts like that were never just gifts. They were signals of intent, of a bond being shaped in silence, something meant to be noticed, accepted, or challenged.
Elliot nodded once. "Just put it here." His tone carried that Alpha certainty that made the air feel heavier, harder to breathe in.
I didn't linger. The longer I stayed, the more the pack pressure in the room pressed against my senses, tightening something restless inside me. I turned away. "If there's nothing else, I'm going back to work," I said flatly, forcing my voice to stay controlled even as my instincts churned.
