Chapter 59 He fell harder

Chapter 59 He fell harder
Ryzen’s lips parted, like he wanted to respond, like he wanted to stop her, like he wanted to say something that mattered but Selene didn’t give him the chance.

Before Ryzen could speak, Selene turned and quickly opened her door, slipping inside with speed that didn’t match her injuries.

The door closed behind her with a soft but firm sound.

Ryzen stood there in the hallway, frozen.

Selene pressed her back against the door instantly.

Her hands flew up to cover her face.

“Oh my god,” she whispered behind her fingers.

Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire.

She leaned her head back against the wood, breathing unevenly.

“What is wrong with me?” she whispered.

She stayed like that for a few seconds, trying to calm down, trying to force her body to act normal.

But the more she thought about it, the worse it got.

Ryzen’s stare.

Ryzen’s voice.

Ryzen saying he could buy hundreds of dresses like it meant nothing.

Ryzen looking at her like she was… precious.

Selene squeezed her eyes shut.

“This is embarrassing,” she muttered.

Then she pushed away from the door and hurried to the bathroom as fast as her body allowed.

Her steps were careful, but her panic was faster.

She reached the mirror and froze.

Her face.

It was red.

Her cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly parted, her eyes wide like she had just been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to do.

Selene stared at her reflection like she didn’t recognize herself.

“Selene,” she whispered to the mirror, “what is this?”

She placed both hands on the sink, leaning forward slightly.

Her heart still refused to calm down.

“Why am I blushing so much?” she asked herself quietly. “Why am I acting like—like a teenager?”

She shook her head.

“This is not the time,” she muttered. “I have problems. Big problems.”

Kai.

Christopher.

Her pack.

The future.

Her almost-death.

The betrayal.

She had so many things she should be focusing on.

And yet—Her mind kept circling back to Ryzen.

To the way he looked at her.

To the way he covered her with his jacket.

To the way he blamed himself for not being there.

Selene straightened slowly, staring at her own eyes in the mirror.

“Do I like him?” she whispered, voice barely audible.

The question hit her like cold water.

Selene’s breath caught.

She didn’t answer right away.

Because the answer felt dangerous.

Because if she admitted it, then it would mean she was stepping into something deeper than friendship.

Something complicated.

Something that could destroy both of them if the wrong people found out.

Selene covered her face again, groaning softly.

“This is so stupid,” she whispered.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

“Maybe it’s just because he’s being kind,” she told herself. “Maybe I’m just not used to kindness.”

She stared at the mirror again.

“But why do I feel excited?” she whispered.

She thought about his smile.

His laugh.

His teasing.

The way he wasn’t cold with her.

The way he was still Ryzen even if he was an Alpha.

Selene’s chest tightened.

She sank slowly onto the edge of the bathtub, still in her dress, still flushed, still feeling like her body was betraying her.

She stayed there for a long time, thinking and thinking until her thoughts turned into a blur.

Her eyes grew heavy.

The exhaustion finally caught up.

Her injuries, her emotions, the tension of the night—it all pressed down on her like a blanket.

Selene stood and changed into something simple, something soft.

She didn’t even remember when she laid down.

She only remembered pulling the blanket over her shoulders and closing her eyes, telling herself she would stop thinking about Ryzen.

But of course she didn’t.

Because even as she fell asleep—Her heart still beat fast and her cheeks still felt warm.

________________

Outside her door, Ryzen remained standing in the hallway like he had been abandoned by his own body.

He stared at the closed door for a long moment.

His face was warm too.

His ears felt hot.

His chest felt tight.

He hadn’t expected Selene to react like that.

He hadn’t expected her to blush.

And worse—He hadn’t expected it to affect him this much.

He lifted a hand to his face and rubbed his jaw slowly, trying to steady himself.

“Get it together,” he muttered under his breath.

He was the Alpha.

He didn’t stand outside a girl’s room blushing like a fool.

He didn’t lose control like this but tonight, he had and he didn’t even hate it. That was the scariest part.

Ryzen exhaled slowly, still staring at the door.

“Should I buy every silver dress in the world for her?” he thought again, and this time he almost laughed at himself.

He was losing it completely.

A voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

“Alpha.”

Ryzen stiffened instantly.

His face snapped back into cold control like a mask dropping into place.

He turned slowly.

Shaux stood there, hands behind his back, expression amused and knowing.

His Beta.

His right hand.

The man who had been with him through battle and blood and council headaches and the man who apparently had the nerve to look entertained right now.

Shaux’s eyes flicked to the closed door, then back to Ryzen.

Then he smiled.

Not a respectful smile.

A teasing one.

“You are helpless,” Shaux said, voice light, joking.

Ryzen’s eyes turned sharp.

Deadly.

The kind of stare that made most people step back immediately.

Shaux, however, didn’t move.

He only raised an eyebrow, still amused.

Ryzen’s voice went cold.

“Say that again,” he said quietly.

Shaux coughed, pretending to clear his throat, but his smile stayed.

“No,” Shaux replied. “I value my life.”

Ryzen kept staring at him like he was considering ending the conversation permanently.

Shaux lifted both hands slightly in surrender. “Relax. I’m only joking.”

Ryzen didn’t relax.

Shaux leaned a little closer, lowering his voice. “But… you were standing here blushing.”

Ryzen’s jaw tightened.

“I was not,” he said flatly.

Shaux nodded slowly, pretending to agree. “Of course. You were simply… inspecting the door.”

Ryzen’s stare sharpened even more.

Shaux finally chuckled. “Council wants you,” he said, more serious now, though the humor still lingered in his eyes. “They noticed you left early.”

Ryzen exhaled through his nose, forcing his mind back into Alpha mode.

“Let them wait,” Ryzen said.

Shaux blinked. “Oh. Bold.”

Ryzen glanced once at Selene’s door again, his gaze softening for a fraction of a second—so fast it could be missed.

Then he turned back to Shaux, cold again.

“Lead the way,” Ryzen said.

Shaux nodded and started walking.

As Ryzen followed, Shaux couldn’t help but add softly, “Still helpless.”

Ryzen’s head turned slowly, eyes flashing.

Shaux immediately sped up. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’ll shut up.”

Ryzen’s lips twitched, almost a smile, but it vanished quickly.

He was Alpha again now but deep inside—He still felt the warmth of her blush and he knew one thing for sure. This was going to get dangerous because he wasn’t just protecting Selene from others anymore.

He was starting to realize—He might need to protect her from what he felt too and that thought alone made his chest tighten all over again.