9

“Mind if I cut in?” Lance asked, smiling at Bryn.

My wolf growled. I was a millisecond away from telling him to fuck off, but Bryn’s hand on my chest stopped me. “It’s okay,” she assured me.

My skin crawled as I stepped away from my mate, but I didn’t go far. I stood on the sidelines, watching them closely. There was nothing unfriendly about the way Lance danced with Bryn. His hands never strayed anywhere disrespectful. Still, my wolf paced around, dying to jump out and tear the two of them apart, but I held myself back.

When the song ended, Bryn came to find me. She kept her expression upbeat and friendly. If I didn’t know her so well, I wouldn’t have noticed how her cheeks had paled.

“What did he say to you?” I asked as I pulled her into my embrace.

“Nothing terrible, but he really burst my bubble,” she said. “He said it would take more than a pretty dress and dropping formalities to merge two packs. He told me that we have enemies everywhere.”

The muscles in my jaw twitched. I trie