Chapter 75 New Ways
Dagnoth’s POV
The place was not meant for comfort.
It was meant for survival.
Stone walls. Reinforced doors. Narrow windows placed high enough to keep watch without giving anything away. It was one of my older safeholds, far from the main palace, hidden deep enough that only those loyal to me knew it existed.
It would do.
I stood at the entrance, scanning the perimeter one last time before stepping inside. The guards I had called were already in position, spread across the outer grounds and inside the corridors. Not many, but enough. Trusted men.
Men who would not fail.
“They don’t leave this place without my word,” I said firmly.
“Yes, Alpha,” one of them replied.
“And no one enters unless I approve it.”
A nod.
No questions.
Good.
Inside, the air was warmer. Safer. But not by much. Safety was temporary now. I knew that.
They all did.
Dahila stood near the center of the room, the pups close to her, their small eyes still adjusting to the new space. They looked tired.
Too tired.
But alive.
That was what mattered.
“This will have to do for now,” I said.
Liam looked around, his expression thoughtful. “It’s smaller.”
“It’s safer,” I replied.
He nodded, accepting that easily.
Children adapted faster than most.
Dahila didn’t speak immediately. Her gaze moved slowly around the room, taking everything in. Measuring. Assessing.
“You’ve been here before,” she said.
“Yes.”
Her eyes shifted back to me. “You trust it.”
“I trust my men.”
That was the only answer that mattered.
A quiet silence settled between us.
The child I had been carrying earlier was now half-asleep against Dahila, her small body relaxed but still holding onto her tightly.
For a moment, I just watched them.
Something about the sight… stayed with me longer than it should have.
“They’ll be safe here,” I added.
Dahila finally nodded.
“Thank you.”
The words were soft.
But real.
I inclined my head slightly in acknowledgment.
“I won’t be gone long,” I said.
Her brows drew together. “You’re leaving?”
“I have to.”
“To do what?”
“To find out who’s after you.”
That answer didn’t ease her.
I could see it.
“You can’t do this alone,” she said.
“I won’t be alone.”
A lie.
But a necessary one.
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. “You said this is bigger than Kael. Bigger than hunters. What if it’s something you can’t handle?”
I met her gaze.
“There is nothing I can’t handle.”
The confidence in my voice was steady.
Unshaken.
But something in her eyes told me she didn’t fully believe it.
Or maybe… she was just afraid.
“I’ll come back,” I said.
That seemed to matter more.
She nodded slowly.
“Alright.”
I turned to leave.
But before I stepped out, I paused.
Just for a second.
Then I looked back at them.
At her.
“Stay inside,” I said. “Do not trust anyone you don’t recognize.”
Her lips pressed together slightly. “I understand.”
I held her gaze a moment longer.
Then I left.
The moment I was gone…
The room felt different.
Quieter.
Heavier.
Dahila’s POV
I didn’t realize how much of the space he filled until he was no longer in it.
The air felt colder somehow.
Even with the guards outside.
Even with the walls around us.
The children had settled quickly, exhaustion finally pulling them into sleep. Liam sat near the window, watching the outside like he had taken it upon himself to stand guard.
Too young for that.
But I didn’t stop him.
Because I understood.
I sat on the edge of the bed, gently brushing my fingers through the smallest one’s hair, my mind still replaying everything that had happened.
The forest.
The hunters.
The way Dagnoth had fought like nothing could touch him.
And the way he looked at us after.
Not like a duty.
Not like a burden.
Something else.
Something I didn’t want to name.
A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.
Soft.
Controlled.
I frowned slightly.
No one had mentioned visitors.
“Who is it?” I asked.
The door opened before I got an answer.
And the moment I saw her…
I knew.
She stepped inside like she belonged there.
Tall. Composed. Dressed in a way that spoke of status without needing to say it.
Power clung to her presence.
But it wasn’t the kind that protected.
It was the kind that claimed.
“You must be Dahila,” she said.
Her voice was smooth.
Too smooth.
I stood slowly.
“Yes.”
Her eyes moved over me, slow and deliberate, as if measuring something.
Finding it lacking.
“I’ve heard about you,” she continued.
“I doubt that,” I replied quietly.
A small smile touched her lips.
“More than you think.”
Silence stretched between us.
Uncomfortable.
Sharp.
Then she stepped closer.
Not too close.
But enough.
“You’re in his space,” she said.
I didn’t respond.
“I’m surprised he allowed it.”
Something in her tone made my chest tighten.
“He didn’t ‘allow’ anything,” I said. “We needed protection.”
“Of course you did.”
Her gaze flicked briefly to the children.
Then back to me.
“And he’s very… protective when he chooses to be.”
I didn’t like where this was going.
“Who are you?” I asked.
She tilted her head slightly.
“His Luna.”
The words landed quietly.
But they carried weight.
Cold, heavy weight.
I felt it settle in my chest.
Of course.
It made sense.
Why wouldn’t it?
A man like Dagnoth…
He would have someone.
Someone like her.
Perfect.
Untouchable.
Not someone like me.
She watched my reaction carefully.
Then smiled again.
“You didn’t know.”
It wasn’t a question.
I said nothing.
Because what was there to say?
She stepped closer now.
This time, the distance between us felt intentional.
Calculated.
“You should understand something,” she said softly.
I forced myself to meet her gaze.
“You will never stand a chance with him.”
The words were calm.
Almost gentle.
But they cut deeper than anything else could have.
“I’m not—” I started.
“You don’t have to say it,” she interrupted. “I can see it.”
My jaw tightened.
“There’s nothing to see.”
Another soft smile.
“You’re in his space. Under his protection. Carrying his attention.”
She paused.
“That’s enough.”
Silence filled the room again.
Heavy.
Unforgiving.
“He is not a man who gives himself easily,” she continued. “And when he does… it’s not to someone like you.”
The words stung.
More than I expected.
Because part of me…
A small, quiet part…
Had started to believe something else.
I straightened slightly.
“I’m not here for him,” I said.
“Good.”
Her expression didn’t change.
“Because even if you were…”
She let the words hang for a moment before finishing.
“You would still lose.”
She stepped back then, as if the conversation was over.
Like she had already said everything she came to say.
“I suggest you remember your place,” she added calmly.
Then she turned and walked out.
Just like that.
Leaving the silence behind her.
And the weight of her words…
Settling deep inside me.