"You believe this alters anything between us? Luca's words cut sharply and clearly over the training field. His eyes fixed on mine, fierce and relentless, as though he dared me to object.
I tightened my hands at my sides, the shame stinging up my neck. The pack was watching all around, their whispers in the background like static.
"This isn't about us, Luca," I murmured, keeping my voice steady even as my chest contracted. "It's about the pack..."
He laughed, a frigid, austere sound that made me tremble. "Don't make yourself look good, Sterling." The group has no need for you. They require an Alpha capable of leading, not... everything this is.
His comments stung more than I had anticipated, but I kept from letting him see it. "Maybe you would realize the pack isn't as loyal to you as you think if you spent less time proving how much better you believe you are."
