I felt her push against me before my instincts fully registered it. Anastasia's hands pressed at my chest, weak but deliberate, as if she needed space more than she needed explanation. The bond between us flickered uneasily, reacting to her sudden emotional shift. I loosened my hold immediately, letting her slip free instead of forcing proximity.
She turned away fast, almost like she was trying to hide herself from my senses. Her scent shifted—embarrassment, confusion, and something sharper underneath that she refused to let surface. My wolf instinct caught every detail even when I told myself not to look too closely.
For two days, she had been tangled in misunderstandings I hadn't corrected. I could sense it now in the way her shoulders were tight, in the way she avoided my gaze as if I could read every thought she didn't dare say out loud.
Finally, she spoke.
