The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a blade. Eryx stood at my side as usual, his presence a steady, immovable force. He had a way of making himself indispensable, always nearby, always watchful. I wasn't sure if it was his nature or his role as the Southern Were representative that kept him so close, but whatever the reason, his constant proximity was beginning to cause ripples I couldn't ignore.
Theo's gaze burned into me from across the room, and I felt the weight of his jealousy as if it were a physical thing. He hadn't said anything yet—not outright—but I could see it in the way his jaw tightened whenever Eryx leaned closer to speak to me, the way his fists clenched when Eryx placed a hand on my arm to guide me through a crowded hallway. Theo's temper had always been a storm just beneath the surface, and now it was threatening to break.
