Chapter 60

Twila's POV

Something had changed.

I had been telling myself that since the night before, but now that I stood across from Orion in the dining hall, I could no longer dismiss it as a feeling. It was there.

In the way his eyes lingered on Natalia, in the way his voice softened whenever she spoke, in the way he seemed almost unaware of how different he was behaving.

I sat quietly at the table, pushing a piece of fruit around my plate while Orion spoke with Thane.

Normally, I would have been listening to every word Orion said, even when the conversation had nothing to do with me. But today, I couldn't bring myself to care.

My mind kept returning to the corridor. Natalia's hands against my shoulders, her words…

‘Orion is mine’.

At the time, I had assumed she was simply desperate and angry. But now, watching Orion smile faintly at something she said from across the room, I wondered if she had been more confident than I realized.

Natalia sat a few seats away, looking unusually pleased with herself. She caught me staring and her lips curved into a small smile. It wasn't friendly.

I immediately looked away.

I didn't know what was happening between them, and I wasn't going to embarrass myself by asking. At least not yet.

"Twila."

I looked up. Orion was staring at me.

"Yes?"

"You haven't eaten."

I glanced down at my plate. "I am eating."

"You've been moving the same piece of fruit around for the last five minutes."

I frowned. "I wasn't aware you were keeping count."

Something flickered across his face. Concern, perhaps.

"I notice things about you."

The words should have warmed me.

Instead, they made my chest tighten. Because if he noticed things about me, then surely he had noticed how uncomfortable I was becoming.

I picked up my glass. "I'm just not very hungry."

Orion studied me for another moment. Then Natalia spoke.

"Perhaps Twila is simply overwhelmed by everything that has happened recently."

I turned toward her and she smiled innocently.

"She has been through quite a lot."

There was something about the way she said it that irritated me.

"I can speak for myself."

Natalia's smile remained. "Of course."

Orion glanced between us. "Is there a problem?"

"No," I said immediately.

Natalia answered at the same time. "Not at all."

Our eyes met.

For a moment, neither of us looked away.

Then Orion cleared his throat. "I have meetings this morning."

Natalia leaned slightly toward him.

"You have barely eaten either."

Orion looked down at his plate. "I suppose you're right."

She reached toward the serving dish and placed something onto his plate.

"Then eat."

I stared.

It was such a small gesture, something anyone could have done. Yet something about it felt intimate.

My stomach twisted. I lowered my eyes.

"Excuse me."

I pushed my chair back. Orion looked at me immediately.

"You're leaving?"

"I told you. I'm not hungry."

Before he could respond, I walked away.

I didn't look back.

I couldn't.

The moment I stepped into the corridor, I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

Why did this bother me so much?

I had known from the beginning that Orion was an Alpha. He had responsibilities.

People wanted his attention… his approval… Him.

That wasn't new.

What was new was the feeling that I had somehow been pushed outside a door that had once been open to me. And I hated that feeling. I hated it more than I wanted to admit.

I walked faster. Maybe I needed some distance. I had become too comfortable and had mistaken his kindness for something more. The thought hurt.

I stopped walking.

"No."

I shook my head. I wasn't going to do this to myself. If Orion wanted Natalia's company, that was his choice. I had survived without him before and I could do it again.

Authoress's POV

Orion remained seated at the table long after Twila had left. His eyes stayed fixed on the doorway.

Something was wrong but he couldn't explain it. He had noticed the change in Twila the moment she walked into the dining hall.

She had barely looked at him.

She hadn't teased him or complained about the food. She hadn't asked about his morning. She had simply sat there, distant and guarded.

And when he had tried to speak with her, she had withdrawn further.

His wolf stirred uneasily.

‘Something is wrong.’

Orion's fingers tightened around the edge of the table. He didn't understand why.

He turned toward Natalia, she was still smiling.

"Did I say something?"

Natalia blinked.

"No."

"Then why does Twila seem upset?"

Natalia lowered her gaze."I wouldn't know."

Orion studied her. There was something different about her too.

She seemed calmer than usual, almost confident.

He couldn't understand why.

"I'll speak with her."

Natalia's smile faded slightly.

"Perhaps you should give her some space."

Orion's gaze hardened. "Why?"

"She has been under a lot of pressure."

"I know."

"Then perhaps she simply needs time."

Orion said nothing.

His wolf stirred again.

He pushed his chair back. "I'll decide what she needs."

Natalia watched him leave.

The moment he disappeared through the doorway, her smile returned. Things were going exactly the way she wanted.

She had spent so long watching Orion give Twila attention. Now she was finally receiving some of it herself.

And she intended to enjoy every second.

Twila's POV

I spent most of the morning in my room.

I tried reading, I failed.

I tried sleeping and that failed too.

Eventually, I stood beside the window and stared outside.

My mind trailed to the training grounds, where Orion had found me before and where we had talked. Where I had felt safe enough to tell him about my strange dream.

Now, the thought of going there made my chest ache.

I stepped away from the window. Maybe I should leave the Southern Kingdom.

The thought had come to me before, but I had never taken it seriously. Now it wouldn't leave me alone.

I had already caused enough disruption.

The Elders didn't trust me. Natalia hated me. And now Orion was behaving differently.

Perhaps leaving would make things easier for everyone.

I rubbed my forehead.

But where would I go? The North?

Azrael would welcome me, but I didn't want to run to him simply because things had become uncomfortable here.

The East?

Zackfronth would probably open his doors without asking questions. That thought made me smile faintly.

I missed him.

I missed Azrael too.

The realization surprised me. I had been so focused on everything happening around me that I hadn't allowed myself to think about how much I missed the people I had grown close to.

I sighed.

Perhaps I was the problem. Perhaps I was becoming too attached.

A knock sounded at the door. I froze.

"Twila?"

Orion.

My heart immediately betrayed me with a hard beat. I didn't answer.

Another knock came.

"Twila, I know you're in there."

I closed my eyes. Of course he knew.

"Can we talk?"

I stared at the door… I wanted to say yes.

Instead, I said, "I'm tired."