Where was I going? The question hung in the air, heavy with implication. I'd been running from this man for four years, and now here I was, trapped in a room with him, my hand frozen on the doorknob.
"I asked you a question, Elara." Rhys's voice hardened, that familiar commanding tone that used to make me tremble.
I slowly turned back to face him, squaring my shoulders. "I'm not yours to command anymore, Rhys. I owe you nothing—not my time, not my presence, and certainly not my explanations."
His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking along its sharp edge. "You're in my territory now."
"I'm in Alpha Valerius's territory," I corrected, finding strength in the truth. "And I'm here because your threats put my job at risk."
Something flashed in his eyes—anger, possessiveness, I couldn't tell. He moved toward the center of the room, creating distance between us, but somehow his presence seemed to fill the space even more.
