Ronan’s POV

Elias walked beside me like a shadow that had been shaken loose.

His posture was too rigid, his breathing too shallow, his eyes too focused on nothing. Every instinct I had; Alpha, tactical, human was screaming that he was minutes away from shutting down.

Not collapsing, Shutting down.

A controlled implosion disguised as composure.

He followed my pace, silent, and careful. But his shoulders kept twitching like every sound in the hallway was a threat. His collar was dark ...