[Ace's POV]
The last wagon wheel vanished around the distant bend, swallowed by the dense tree line. A thick, golden cloud of dust hung in the still afternoon air, slowly settling over the empty road. The space where our companions had just stood felt vast and hollow, the silence they left behind a heavy weight. Beside me, Ovelia's shoulders gave a minute tremble. A soft, wet sniffle was the only sound she allowed to escape.
A primal, possessive urge surged from the wolf within me, a raw need to shield her from this pain, to absorb the sadness that made her seem so fragile. Before logic or propriety could intervene, I moved. I stepped into the space behind her and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her back firmly against my chest. The moment she was in my embrace, the hot, coiling jealousy I'd felt watching the others touch her dissolved, replaced by a warm, profound calm. She stilled completely in my arms, her breath catching in a soft, startled gasp.
