Chapter 123

THIRD PERSON'S POV The forest was silent, the only sound the crunch of gravel under Olivia's boots and the soft rustle of leaves as a breeze swept through. The air smelled like pine and danger—two things she knew she should be running from, yet she kept walking forward, the shadows offering a strange kind of comfort. She could feel him behind her—Dominic. His presence was a living thing. It clung to her like a second skin, hot and unyielding. He hadn't said a word since they left the bar, but she sensed every breath, every internal struggle as he fought not to reach out and close the distance between them. Olivia's mind was chaos. Her thoughts tangled and turned, torn between reason and the dangerous thrum of her mate bond, which had become unbearable. It screamed for her to turn around. It whispered promises of comfort, of belonging, of a love that still lingered beneath the ache. She hated it. And she needed it. The clearing opened ahead—just beyond the pack's territory line. Neutral