Every nerve screamed yes and no at the same time.
Gideon's body pinned mine against the wall, his weight solid and unyielding, radiating heat through the thin fabric of our training clothes. His hand at my throat, fingers warm against my racing pulse. His whisper still echoing in my ear, breath hot against my skin.
Yield, and I'll make it worth your while.
My wolf surged inside me, a tide of fury rising beneath my ribs. Not toward him. Against him.
She didn't want this Alpha. Didn't trust him. Didn't recognize him as anything but threat.
But my human side was torn. Because part of what he offered was tempting. Power. Partnership. Freedom from Darius's obsessive claiming.
Everything I'd said I wanted.
So why did every instinct scream to run?
"Elara," Gideon murmured, his thumb brushing across my pulse point, feeling how fast my heart hammered. "You're thinking too hard. Just yield. Accept what's being offered."
