#Chapter 137: Assuming the Worst

Elijah I strode out of the ballroom, my chest tight and my head spinning. The cool night air hit me like a slap to the face as I pushed through the hotel’s heavy glass doors, my polished shoes clicking against the pavement. I didn’t stop until I reached the outer wall, where I leaned heavily against the rough brick, inhaling deeply through my nose. The scent of damp earth and distant rain filled my lungs, grounding me in reality as I tried to shake off the strange pull that had coursed through me mere moments ago. Inside, during that last altercation with Olivia, I’d felt it again—that subtle tug on the mate bond. But this time, it was… different. It wasn’t the overwhelming flood I’d grown used to, the kind that left me dizzy and drowning in her presence. No, this was quieter, like a whisper on the wind, so faint I almost doubted it was real. But it was there, stirring my wolf, making my skin prickle with heat. I clenched my jaw just at the though