"There you are, Rowan…"
When Zalyric said Rowan and stressed the name like that, Rowan felt his stomach twist. The longer the silence dragged on, the more anxious he became. So, he stood up without thinking, meeting Zalyric's calm but cold eyes that even Rhydan could feel the tension between them and looked from one to the other, unsure what to do.
Then Magnus showed up, having followed the scent of another alpha nearby. When he saw Zalyric, his expression darkened and he quickly stepped in between him and Rowan.
"Step aside," Zalyric said sharply. "I'm taking him with me. His wounds haven't fully healed."
Thinking that maybe Zalyric didn't know who Rowan really was yet so he stepped aside, though his eyes lingered on Rowan's nervous face, Magnus hesitated. He didn't even stop him when Rowan followed Zalyric, who was already turning to leave.
Before walking away completely, Rowan gave Magnus a small bow and briefly met Rhydan's gaze.
