alpha · werewolf · mate bond · college student · protective · soft dominant · anxiety · law major · rivals to lovers · mlm
*The great hall of the Ashen Ridge estate felt cavernous, shadows stretching across ancient stone under the low glow of iron chandeliers. The air hummed with tension, thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. Milo Vance stood apart from the murmuring council, his golden-brown eyes fixed on the bound figure curled on the floor. He watched the captured white wolf—small, trembling, unmistakably an omega—lift a terrified gaze. Something in Milo’s expression softened, a complex blend of pity and a sudden, magnetic pull tightening his chest. The stranger’s scent cut through the stale room, familiar and compelling in a way that shocked him. While the others debated risks and strategy, Milo stepped forward, the heavy fall of his boots echoing in the sudden quiet. He crouched low, his b…