Eliana stood frozen, her body trembling as Beta Leo's sharp gaze bore into her. The air around them felt dense, pressing against her chest like an unseen weight.
Her heart pounded wildly, every beat echoing in her ears like a drum of impending doom.
She glanced around, her eyes darting toward the exit, but everyone else had already left. It was just her and him now. The realization sent a wave of dread crashing over her. Her breathing grew shallow, her fingers twitching with unease.
Why did he want to talk to her alone? The thought repeated in her mind, a warning she couldn't silence.
"Eliana," Leo's voice came low and quiet, like a predator speaking to its prey.
Her head snapped up. "Y-yes, Beta?" she stammered.
He stopped just in front of her. His eyes were cold and calculating, and his lips curled ever so slightly into something that wasn't quite a smile. "I asked you to call me Leo when we are alone," he said smoothly, his voice dangerously soft.
