#Chapter 22: The Tipping Point

( Evelyn's POV) I can feel him, and so does everyone else. The air shifts—heavy, thick with an energy that makes my skin tingle. There’s no mistaking it. It’s the wolf. His presence fills the room, stirs the air, and every instinct in me screams to run. But it’s too late. He’s already there, closing the distance between us. “Evelyn.” His voice is low, dark, and filled with something I can't quite place. I feel the tension in every muscle, my heart racing faster than it should. I try to push him away, but he’s too close. The heat of his body radiates against mine, and it takes everything I have not to shudder. I catch the flicker of his wolf’s emotions. It’s agitation, frustration, and desire that surge through the bond between us like a live wire. “Mate,” his wolf growls, and for a brief, fleeting moment, I can almost hear it. Feel it. It’s a primal call that shakes me to my core. No. No, no, no. I can't listen to this. I can’t give in to the past. Not again. I sna