Chapter 49 My Territory
DAGNOTH DRACULUS
She thinks I don’t notice.
That is her first mistake.
Dahila avoids the dining hall. Avoids the long table. Avoids the Luna’s sharp glances. Avoids me.
But she cannot avoid my eyes.
I knew the moment her appetite changed. Wolves notice weakness. Kings notice shifts. And I notice her.
She moves differently these days. Quieter. Smaller. As if she is trying to fold herself into the walls of my territory.
My territory.
And she dares to feel unwelcome in it.
That thought alone irritates me.
When I stepped into the hallway tonight, I did not expect to find her there. But when I saw her freeze at the sight of me, when her gaze dipped—lingered—and then snapped away…
I almost smiled.
She tries very hard not to look at me.
She fails every time.
The way her eyes caught the scar near my collarbone told me more than words ever could. Curiosity. Awareness. Heat.
She looked like she had touched fire and didn’t know whether to pull away or lean closer.
I enjoyed that more than I should have.
I should not enjoy it at all.
She is under my protection. A guest in my pack. A mother.
But I am still a man.
And I am still Alpha.
When I stepped closer, I could hear it—her heartbeat. Faster than normal. Strong. Defiant. Like she was angry at it for betraying her.
She asked if I had been watching her.
Of course I have.
I watch everything.
But I do not watch everyone the same way.
She does not understand that difference yet.
When she said she was fine, I nearly scoffed. She is strong, yes. Capable. But fine?
No.
Her scent carries stress. Her shoulders carry weight she refuses to name. She pretends hunger simply left her body by accident.
Wolves do not simply forget to eat.
They lose appetite when something unsettles them.
And she is unsettled here.
Because of my Luna.
Because of the whispers.
Because of me.
When she asked if this place was not against her, something sharp cut through my chest.
Against her?
In my territory?
Impossible.
No one harms what stands under my roof.
But welcoming… that is different.
Respect is different.
And I have allowed distance where I should have drawn a line.
That realization does not sit well with me.
When I stepped closer—closer than necessary—it was not to intimidate her.
It was to feel the truth of her.
She did not step away immediately.
She stood her ground.
Even when her breath changed.
Even when her eyes flicked to my lips.
She noticed.
And when she called me out for watching hers, I almost laughed.
Bold.
She is bold when cornered.
I admire that.
Most would lower their heads before me. Submit to the pressure of my presence.
She argues.
She challenges.
She does not tremble.
That is dangerous.
Because I find myself wanting to push her further. To see how far that boldness goes.
When she said she shrinks at the dining hall, I felt anger. Not at her. At the situation.
She should not have to shrink in my presence.
No woman under my protection should feel the need to make herself invisible.
Especially not her.
When I told her I would sit beside her tonight, I meant it.
Not to provoke.
Not to play games.
But to send a message.
The pack watches me.
If I sit beside her, they will understand.
Respect her.
Or answer to me.
But I would be lying if I said that was the only reason.
I want to sit beside her.
I want to see her across the table, head lifted instead of lowered.
I want to watch her eat and know she feels secure.
That should not matter as much as it does.
When I lifted her chin…
I almost lost control.
The touch was light. Barely there.
But her skin was warm.
Soft.
Her eyes widened just slightly, and for one reckless second, I imagined pulling her closer. Letting her feel exactly what she does to me.
It would have been easy.
Too easy.
That is why I stopped.
An Alpha who cannot control himself is not fit to rule.
And I rule an entire kingdom.
Still, when she stepped back, I felt the absence immediately.
Like something had been taken from my hands.
She thinks this is fire.
She is right.
But she does not understand something important.
I was born in fire.
Raised in it.
Crowned in it.
If she stands near flames, it is because I allow it.
And if anyone gets burned…
It will not be her.
As I walked back to my chambers, I could still feel the imprint of her gaze on my skin. The way she tried not to look at me. The way she failed.
She calls this a mistake.
Getting close to me.
Letting me see her.
She is wrong.
The mistake would be pretending I do not feel this shift between us.
Because I do.
Every step she takes away from the dining hall.
Every time she forces strength into her voice.
Every time she says “Alpha” like it is a reminder to herself.
She is building walls.
And I am not a man who turns away from walls.
I break them.
Tonight, I will sit beside her.
Not as temptation.
Not as provocation.
But as a declaration.
She will not shrink in my territory.
She will not starve herself in silence.
And she will not doubt her place under my protection again.
As for the fire between us…
I will control it.
For now.
But if she ever stops looking at me like I am both danger and refuge—
If she ever leans in instead of stepping back—
Then even a king may decide to let something burn.