[Ace's POV]
The monkey's chattering grated on my nerves as it scrambled from Shin's shoulder into their waiting wagon. But that irritation was nothing compared to the hot, coiling tension that seized me when first Kai, and then Shin, reached out to pat Ovelia's head in farewell.
It was a casual, friendly gesture. Harmless. Innocent.
But to the wolf snarling inside me, it was a claim. A challenge. A declaration that they had the right to touch what was mine.
My muscles tensed. A low growl built in my throat, vibrating through my body like the first rumbling of an approaching storm. My claws ached to extend, to remind them exactly who she belonged to—
"Don't—" I started, the word a sharp warning.
