Chapter 48 Those Eyes
Dahila’s POV
He was shirtless.
Damn.
Why did he always have to be shirtless?
The hallway suddenly felt smaller. Warmer. Harder to breathe in.
His chest was bare, defined muscles shifting slightly as he straightened from the wall. A faint scar ran across his collarbone, disappearing down toward his ribs. My eyes caught it before I could stop myself.
I tried to control my gaze. I swear to the Moon Goddess, I did.
I looked at his shoulder. Then the wall. Then the floor.
But somehow my eyes drifted back.
And worst of all?
He noticed.
A slow, satisfied smirk curved around his lips.
Heat rushed to my face. I immediately crossed my arms, as if that would somehow protect my dignity.
“I haven’t been seeing you in the dining hall,” he said casually, pushing off the wall. “Just the pups.”
His voice was deep. Calm. Too calm.
“Oh… that,” I said, scratching the back of my head like it was no big deal. Like my lack of eating lately wasn’t something I had only just realized myself.
His deep green eyes pierced straight through me.
That night.
The thought flashed across my mind without permission.
The way he had looked at me that night in the garden. The intensity. The silence between us. The way my pulse had betrayed me.
No matter how hard I tried, that memory kept coming back.
Just his gaze now was enough for me to know he knew I was trying to make something up.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Dahila.”
Goodness, Goddess.
The way my name rolled from his mouth was too smooth. Too familiar. Like he had been saying it for years.
I cleared my throat quickly.
Maybe if I acted very professional around him, my brain cells would activate and I would remember that thinking about him in any other way was a terrible idea.
“It’s nothing serious, Alpha,” I said, avoiding his gaze.
He didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, he stepped closer.
One step.
Not enough to touch me.
But enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his skin.
My heart betrayed me again, beating harder against my ribs.
“It’s not about seriousness,” he said quietly. “You haven’t been eating.”
My eyes snapped up to his. “You’ve been watching me?”
He lifted a brow. “I watch everything in my pack.”
My pack.
The reminder stung.
“I’m fine,” I insisted.
His jaw tightened slightly. “You look tired.”
“I have children,” I replied quickly. “That comes with the job.”
A faint chuckle escaped him, but there was no humor in his eyes.
“This isn’t about your children.”
Silence stretched between us.
I hated how easily he saw through me.
“I just… haven’t been hungry,” I muttered.
His eyes darkened.
“Why?”
Why.
Such a simple word.
But how was I supposed to answer that?
Because I feel like I’m drowning in a place that doesn’t feel like home.
Because your Luna looks at me like I don’t belong here.
Because your presence alone confuses me more than I can handle.
Because every time you stand too close, my thoughts scatter.
“I’m adjusting,” I said finally. “It takes time.”
He studied my face like he was searching for something hidden beneath my skin.
“You think this place is against you,” he said.
I hesitated.
“Is it not?” I asked softly.
His expression shifted—something almost offended flashing across his features.
“No one here will harm you.”
“That’s not the same as welcoming me,” I replied.
That hit.
He went quiet.
For a second, I thought I had crossed a line.
Then he stepped even closer.
Now there was barely space between us.
I could feel the air change. Thick. Charged.
“You think I would allow anyone to disrespect you?” he asked.
My breath caught.
His voice wasn’t loud. It wasn’t aggressive.
It was controlled.
Dangerously controlled.
“I don’t know what you would allow,” I whispered.
His hand lifted slightly, like he wanted to reach for me.
But he stopped himself.
That small restraint did more to my heart than if he had actually touched me.
“You avoid the dining hall because of her,” he said.
It wasn’t a question.
I swallowed.
“I avoid unnecessary tension.”
His eyes softened, just a little.
“You don’t have to shrink yourself here.”
Shrink.
I hadn’t realized I was doing that.
But he was right.
In the dining hall, I made myself smaller. Quieter. Invisible.
“I’m not shrinking,” I protested weakly.
His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.
“You are.”
My pulse stumbled.
“You shouldn’t be watching my lips while accusing me of things, Alpha,” I said before I could stop myself.
The corner of his mouth lifted.
“So you noticed.”
Heat exploded across my cheeks.
“I notice everything in my pack,” I shot back, mocking his earlier tone.
A low laugh rumbled from his chest.
Goddess help me.
“You’re bold when you’re flustered,” he said.
“I am not flustered.”
He leaned slightly closer.
“You’re breathing faster.”
Traitor lungs.
I stepped back quickly, but my back brushed against the wall.
He didn’t trap me.
He just stood there.
Close enough that if I leaned forward even an inch, I would feel him.
“Why does my eating concern you so much?” I asked, trying to regain control of the conversation.
His expression shifted again.
More serious now.
“Because you matter here.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
I blinked. “I’m just a guest.”
“You’re not just anything,” he said firmly.
Our eyes locked.
For a long second, neither of us spoke.
Something unspoken passed between us. Something fragile. Dangerous.
“You should eat tonight,” he said quietly. “Sit at the table.”
“With your Luna glaring at me?”
His jaw tightened again.
“She will not glare.”
“You can’t control her face,” I murmured.
A ghost of a smile appeared.
“No. But I can control the atmosphere.”
“And how would you do that?”
His gaze didn’t leave mine.
“By sitting next to you.”
My heart stopped.
That was not a suggestion.
That was a statement.
“That would only make things worse,” I whispered.
“For who?” he asked softly.
The tension between us snapped tight.
For me.
For you.
For everyone.
“You’re playing with fire,” I said.
His eyes darkened, voice dropping an octave.
“I’ve never been afraid of fire.”
My breath hitched.
Neither have I, a reckless part of my mind whispered.
This was dangerous.
He was dangerous.
And the worst part?
I didn’t feel fear.
I felt awareness.
Alive.
“I don’t need special treatment,” I said, forcing strength into my voice.
“It’s not special treatment,” he replied. “It’s respect.”
His hand finally moved.
Not to grab.
Not to claim.
Just to gently tilt my chin upward so I would stop looking away.
The touch was light.
Barely there.
But electricity shot through me.
“You don’t have to fight alone here, Dahila,” he said softly.
The way he said my name again.
Like it belonged to him.
My defenses wavered.
For a brief, terrifying second, I wanted to lean into him. To let myself rest against that strong chest. To stop pretending I had everything under control.
But I couldn’t.
Not here.
Not like this.
I stepped away from his touch.
“It’s nothing serious, Alpha,” I repeated, though my voice was no longer steady.
His eyes searched mine one last time.
“You’re a terrible liar,” he murmured.
“And you’re too observant.”
A faint smirk returned.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he said.
That wasn’t a question either.
He stepped back finally, giving me space.
But the warmth he left behind lingered on my skin.
As he walked past me down the corridor, I forced myself not to turn around.
Not to watch the way his muscles shifted with each step.
Not to admire the confidence in his stride.
I waited until I heard his door close before releasing the breath I had been holding.
This was a mistake.
Getting close to him.
Letting him see me.
Letting myself feel anything at all.
But as I stood there, my heart still racing, one dangerous truth echoed in my mind.
If this was a mistake…
Why did it feel so right?