Chapter 57 Too Close

Chapter 57 Too Close
My eyes met his, and he didn't look away. "So what's your plan?" Aiden asked, still looking at me. "Are you going to stay or not?"

I blinked, lowering my gaze to my palm. "Thank you for letting me and my pups stay in your pack," I mumbled, looking back up to meet his gaze.

A low smirk pulled up on his lips. "It's no big deal. At least you also helped me in tracking down those rogue wolves."

"They were not rogue wolves," I said, and his attention snapped right back toward me.

His face contorted into a frown. "If they were not rogues, why would your stepsister send them?"

Tears filled my eyes at the thought of Alpha Warren and the fact that he still thinks Layla was his mate. I didn't even know how he could be with her for so long and still not know she wasn't the one. I opened my mouth to say something, but I stopped myself. I didn't know if I should say it, if telling Aiden about Alpha Warren would make him go to his pack and confront him.

"It's because..." my voice stammered a little as I tried to speak.

"Alpha Warren is your mate," Aiden finished for me.

My eyes widened as they met his dark gaze. "How did you know that?" I asked, staring at him with deep curiosity.

He scoffed, shoving his hand into his pocket. "I've always known. I told you that I tend to know things about people by just staring at them. So I knew from the start who your mate was."

I lowered my gaze, the pain in my chest feeling so much heavier than the ache in my body. "He is not my mate anymore," I whispered, the tears rolling down my cheeks. "He belongs to Layla now. She is his Luna."

"Alpha Warren doesn't deserve you," Aiden said, adjusting the tray of food in front of me. "You need to eat so you can rest. It's been a long day for you."

"Thank you," I said.

I looked down at the steaming bowl of food placed on the tray over my legs. I picked up the small metal spoon, but my fingers were trembling so hard that the food kept sliding right off the edge back into the bowl.

I tried to lift a tiny bite to my lips, but my throat felt tight and dry, making it almost impossible to swallow anything. The emotional toll of the day was heavy, and my body felt weak from all the blood I had lost in the woods.

Seeing me struggle so much, Aiden let out a quiet sigh. He reached across the bed, took the spoon gently from my hand, and scooped up a small portion of the warm soup. He held it out toward my mouth, his cold face unreadable as he watched me.

I froze, staring at him in utter surprise. I didn't expect a gesture like this from him at all. Aiden was not the kind of person who offered to feed someone, nor did he seem like the type to show this much care based on how cold, distant, and ruthless he appeared from the very first day I met him in the forest.

"Open up," he said, his voice flat but firm, leaving no room for me to argue.

I opened my mouth slowly, taking the warm soup and swallowing it down into my sore throat.

"You were very lucky you didn't run into one of my wolf traps when you ran into the woods," Aiden said quietly, scooping up another spoonful for me and holding it steady. "You should be very careful going into the forest alone like that."

"It was the only place I felt I would be safe," I mumbled, my voice barely above a soft whisper as I took another bite.

Aiden paused, his dark eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart jump. "Is that really what you thought? Or did you just know I would likely be around?"

I swallowed hard, a sudden lump rising in my throat. I almost choked on my breath at his words, my chest tight as I looked at him.

Aiden watched me closely for a second before feeding me another small bite. "I will have my mother prepare a room for you in the pack mansion. Once you get better, you can go stay there with your newborn pups."

Tears glistened in my eyes again, but this time out of pure relief. "Thank you, Aiden. Really."

"You will be able to see your pups tomorrow," he added, setting the spoon down on the edge of the bowl. "I am sure your wolf will have healed your body enough by then."

I nodded quickly, trying to swallow the food left in my mouth, but it went down the wrong pipe in my rush. I broke out into a sharp, heavy cough, my hands clutching my sore chest as I gasped for air.

Before I could even react to the pain, Aiden moved closer. He reached for the glass of water on the side table, wrapping one strong hand around the back of my neck to hold me steady while he held the glass gently to my lips.

"Drink slowly," he ordered in a low tone.

I took small gulps of the cool water, the burning in my throat slowly dying down. But as the choking stopped and I leaned back against the pillow, I suddenly realized just how close he was to me. His face was only inches from mine, his sharp jaw and gray eyes filling my sight. His strong, masculine scent wrapped around my senses, and the heat radiating off his body made my skin tingle in a way I couldn't explain.

My breath caught in my throat for a completely different reason. I felt my cheeks flush hot, my heart beating fast against my ribs as I stared into his intense gaze. His hand lingered on the back of my neck for a second longer than necessary before he slowly pulled his fingers away from my skin.

Aiden set the glass back down on the small table and picked up the tray of food, stepping away from the bed to put a little distance between us. His face had hardened back into its usual cold, unreadable mask, but his eyes were still fixed on me.

"You need to rest now," he said, his deep voice filling the quiet room. "I will go do a little watch around the border and come back later to check on you."

I gave him a small, nervous nod, holding the blanket tight against my chest. Without another word, Aiden turned on his heel and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.