Lyssandra.
Jesse’s voice did not merely reach my ears—it burrowed straight into my chest.
For a fleeting second, it felt as though his gaze peeled through skin and bone, rummaging through every concealed intention, every fragile calculation I had so carefully arranged. I forced myself not to stiffen beneath it.
I had once believed Jesse to be reckless rather than intelligent. Years ago, he was loud, impulsive, predictable. But the moment he seized the Alpha title through layered deceit and quiet manipulation, I learned a different truth.
Power had sharpened him.
Suspicion had refined him.
And paranoia had made him dangerous.
I would never again underestimate him.
“And how does that concern you?” I asked, keeping my tone measured but edged. “I do not see how my movements within this
