Elias’s POV

The first rule of survival is control.

Never flinch. Never fold. Never let anyone see you break.

But rules meant nothing when Ronan was in the same room.

He didn’t even have to speak; his presence was enough. Every time he entered the space, the air shifted; thicker, heavier. The Alphas around him stood straighter without realizing it. The Betas lowered their eyes. And me? I just tried to breathe like I belonged there.

We were in tactical theory again. The rest of the ...