Page 65 of Never Submit

I still want her. I half wonder if I always will. My wolf snarls, hating that she’s something it can’t have again. Letting her go won’t be easy.

It doesn’t matter that she’s Noble’s. The bond’s claim doesn’t stop the primal urge that can’t ignore her presence. The way her scent lingers in the air, wild and alluring, wrapping around us like a challenge and a promise all at once.

Beside me, Mathis stiffens, his wolf snapping to attention as well. As his beta, Mathis’s tension is mine, thick and palpable, radiating in waves. He doesn’t say a word but his jaw tightens and his hands curl into fists at his sides. His breathing deepens, his restraint cracking just enough that I catch the faintest growl slip from him before he clamps it down.

Torin’s reaction is more subtle but no less telling. His sharp gaze rakes over Ren, assessing her with a calculated intensity that sets my teeth on edge. His wolf is there too,humming just beneath the surface, its interest simmering like a low growl.

Ren hesitates, her eyes scanning the room and widening slightly when they meet each of ours.

“Oh, I, ah, didn’t realize you guys were here yet. Hi, Mathis…” She breathes deep, nostrils flaring as she draws in our scents. “Dax.”

Her gaze darts between us, like she’s trying to read the room, trying to figure out if she belongs here or if she’s just walked into a den of predators ready to pounce.

“Baby,” Noble says, his voice low and calm, but there’s a warning there, too—one directed at us as much as at her. “I told you this wasn’t the time for interruptions. You’ve got to learn to trust me.”

She doesn’t respond. Not immediately. Her shoulders are stiff, her chest rising and falling too fast.

“I, ah, I’m not sure what—” Red breaks off and rubs her hand over her chest. “I don’t know?—”

Before the tension can spiral, Flora steps forward, her eyes softening. “Let’s get you some air, honey,” she says.

Red blinks, the sound of Flora’s voice pulling her out of whatever thoughts she’s sinking into. For a moment she looks like she might argue. Her lips part in protest.

But then she exhales, and something in her posture caves. Her shoulders sag and she nods. Her eyes are grateful but still clouded with something like doubt.

Don’t go.

She’s here. I want her to stay.

Without another word, Flora wraps an arm around Red, steadying her as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. There’s a surprising tenderness in the gesture and Ren leans into it.

“Don’t follow us, boys,” Flora trills over her shoulder.

They walk out together, the sound of the door clicking shut behind them leaving a silence that’s almost deafening.

Mathis still hasn’t moved. His eyes are fixed on the door, as if staring at it long enough will somehow bring her back. Noble looks like he’s caught in a war with himself, his jaw clenching, shoulders tight, torn between duty and whatever it is he’s feeling for Red.

And me? My wolf snarls in my chest, unsettled, restless.

How has one woman completely upheaved our world? It doesn’t make sense.Shedoesn’t make sense. Yet here we are, four grown men thrown off balance because of one little woman.

“Yes, well…” Torin’s voice cuts through the tension like a blade, sharp and deliberate. He clears his throat, his gaze lingering on the door before finally shifting back to Mathis, his expression a mask of stone. “Back to our plans with Andras, our packs, and our temporary truce.”

Mathis blinks, dragging himself back to the present, though his shoulders are still rigid. He turns to Torin, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“Right,” he says. “The truce.”

I cross my arms and let out a sharp breath. “Let’s be clear on one thing,” I say. “This truce doesn’t mean we trust you. It just means we hate Andras more than we hate you.”

Torin arches a brow, his lips twitching in what might be amusement—or annoyance. It’s always hard to tell with him. “Trust me,” he says smoothly, “the feeling’s mutual.”

Chapter 15

Ren

“You didn’t have to do that.” I bite down on my lip as the stranger stares at me sidelong.

Jeez, I almost lost my cool in front of them. How embarrassing would it have been to shift again, to show how absolutely unhinged I get when it comes to those four men.

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