Chapter 64 From Behind
Dahila’s POV
I stayed on the balcony long after he left.
The night had grown quieter, the palace settling into the heavy stillness that always came after midnight. Most of the warriors had likely returned to their quarters, and the distant sounds of training from earlier had faded into silence.
But my mind refused to do the same.
I was still thinking about him.
Annoyingly.
Infuriatingly.
Dagnoth.
I rested my hands on the cold stone railing and exhaled slowly, letting the cool air brush against my face.
“Get a grip,” I muttered to myself.
He was just an Alpha.
An arrogant, persistent, irritating Alpha who apparently enjoyed invading people’s rooms and disrupting their peace.
That was all.
Nothing more.
Nothing worth losing sleep over.
And yet…
My gaze drifted toward the courtyard again.
The exact place where he had been standing earlier.
Watching my window.
My stomach tightened slightly.
Why had he been there?
The question lingered in my mind, stubborn and unwelcome.
Dagnoth didn’t seem like the type of man who wasted time for no reason. Everything about him screamed control and purpose.
Which meant he had a reason.
And I had a very uncomfortable suspicion that the reason was—
Me.
I groaned softly and pushed myself away from the railing.
“No,” I said firmly to the empty balcony.
Absolutely not.
I wasn’t about to become the center of whatever strange game he was playing.
I had survived far worse things than an overly confident Alpha with a dangerous smile.
Men like him thrived on control.
On power.
On people bending to their will.
And I had spent too much of my life refusing to bend.
I stepped back inside the room and closed the balcony doors behind me. The quiet inside felt heavier now, pressing gently against the walls.
My eyes drifted toward the bed.
Sleep.
That was what he had told me to do.
Twice.
I rolled my eyes at the memory.
“Bossy,” I muttered.
Still…
He wasn’t entirely wrong.
The journey to this territory had been long and exhausting. Between unfamiliar faces, constant tension, and the lingering feeling that everyone in this palace was quietly observing me, my energy had drained faster than I wanted to admit.
I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off my boots.
One.
Then the other.
They dropped softly onto the floor.
For a moment, I simply sat there, staring at nothing.
Then I leaned back onto the mattress, stretching my arms above my head.
The ceiling above me was carved with faint patterns in the stone, illuminated by the dim glow of the lantern near the wall.
Slowly, my breathing began to steady.
Maybe Dagnoth had been right.
Maybe I did need sleep.
My eyes drifted closed.
But of course…
Peace never lasted long.
A distant howl cut through the night.
My eyes snapped open instantly.
I froze.
That wasn’t a casual patrol call.
It was too sharp.
Too urgent.
Another howl followed.
Then a third.
Each one echoing through the forest beyond the palace walls.
Alarm.
I sat up immediately, every trace of drowsiness gone.
“What now…” I whispered.
Voices suddenly rose from the courtyard below.
Boots pounded against stone.
Warriors shouting.
Orders being barked.
Something was happening.
I swung my legs off the bed and moved quickly toward the balcony again. The moment I stepped outside, the sudden chaos below came into view.
Torches were being lit all across the courtyard.
Warriors rushed from different hallways and staircases, some already half-shifted, their movements sharp and focused.
Guards at the outer gate were raising the iron barriers.
My pulse quickened.
Then I saw him.
Right in the center of the courtyard.
Dagnoth.
Even from this distance, he was impossible to miss.
Tall.
Commanding.
Completely in control of the storm forming around him.
Warriors gathered as he issued orders, his voice carrying clearly through the night air.
“South wall—double the guards.”
“Archers to the towers.”
“Close the inner gate!”
Every command was immediate, precise.
No hesitation.
No confusion.
It was strangely impressive.
My wolf stirred faintly inside me, uneasy.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
As if sensing it—
Dagnoth suddenly looked up.
Directly at my balcony.
Our eyes met across the courtyard.
For a split second, surprise flickered across his face.
Then his expression hardened.
“Stay inside!” he shouted.
I frowned immediately.
He had absolutely no authority to—
A thunderous boom exploded from somewhere beyond the outer forest.
The ground beneath my feet trembled slightly.
My breath caught.
That was not a howl.
That was an explosion.
Several warriors in the courtyard immediately shifted, their bodies transforming in flashes of movement as panic rippled through the gathering.
Another boom echoed through the distance.
Closer this time.
Dagnoth’s voice cut through the noise again.
“Battle positions!”
The courtyard erupted into motion.
Wolves rushed toward the gates.
Others climbed the walls, taking positions along the battlements.
My heart began to pound harder.
This wasn’t a patrol issue.
This was an attack.
And judging by how fast the palace had moved into full combat readiness…
They had been expecting it.
I gripped the balcony railing tighter.
Dagnoth looked up again.
His gaze locked onto mine once more.
Even from across the courtyard, I could see the warning in his eyes.
Stay out of this.
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
Not a chance.
The distant forest erupted with another explosion, louder than the others.
Shouts rose from the outer gates.
One of the guards yelled something I couldn’t fully hear.
But the fear in his voice was unmistakable.
My wolf stirred again, restless beneath my skin.
The night air suddenly felt charged with tension.
Danger was coming.
Fast.
And something told me this attack wasn’t random.
It was targeted.
My gaze drifted back to Dagnoth.
He was already shifting into motion again, warriors moving around him like a living army.
Prepared.
Disciplined.
Deadly.
Yet for some reason…
My instincts whispered something else entirely.
This battle wasn’t the real problem.
The real problem was the one thing no one in that courtyard seemed to notice.
Someone out there wasn’t just attacking the pack.
They were looking for something.
Or someone.
And a cold, unsettling feeling settled in my chest.
Because for reasons I couldn’t explain…
I had a terrible feeling that someone might be me.