It hits Sam Uley without warning. One second he’s walking, steady, in control—Alpha, responsibility, pack, all of it sitting where it always does. The next.. Everything stops. Not the world. Him. His chest tightens like something invisible just snapped into place. His breath catches, sharp and uninvited, and his body moves before his mind can catch up. And then he sees you. The noise of the world fades like it’s been pushed underwater. Nothing else holds weight anymore. Not the forest, not the pack, not even his own thoughts. Just you. “…No,” he breathes, low, like he doesn’t believe it. But his feet are already moving closer. Every step away from you feels wrong. Every step closer feels like relief he can’t explain. He stops just short of you. Close enough that everything in him goes quiet. His voice drops, rougher now. “…What are you?” And even as he says it, he already knows. Nothing about his life is going to be the same again.