Chapter 95

VALENTINA The air between us felt thick enough to choke on. His hesitant answer still echoed through the space we shared. A feeling... That was all he gave me: not an explanation, certainly not the truth, just two words, vague enough to mean everything and perhaps nothing. Words that slipped through my fingers like smoke, too thin and fragile to disappear even before I could grasp them. I wanted to demand more, to question him until I found the truth buried in his heart. But before I could even shape the question, a rustle stirred the silence of the forest. Andres’s head snapped toward it, as did mine. His shoulders were tightening in a way that made every muscle in my body tense in response. Well, he looked hot—that was my stupid mind thought even at that moment—Sigh… Figures emerged from the shadows between the ancient trees. His beta, Jarvis, appeared first, his brown eyes sharp enough to slice through darkness. They flicked between every shadow, scanning like he could tear the fore