Melissa.

I was still standing there, frozen in place, my mind struggling to catch up with reality, when it finally settled, he was the one standing in front of me. The random Alpha. The one who had stepped forward so confidently at the gathering. The one who had just saved my life.

Alpha Daniel.

The shock clung to me, heavy and suffocating, my heart still pounding erratically from everything that had just happened. My throat burned faintly, my chest rising and falling as I fought to steady my breathing. I could still feel the phantom pressure of Vanessa’s hand around my neck, the echo of fear lingering beneath my skin.

"There is no need to thank me," he said gently, his voice pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. It was calm, unexpectedly so. Warm. "I couldn’t see a damsel in distress and not step in."

His hand remained on my arm, firm but careful, grounding me as he helped me stand properly. I wobbled slightly, my legs still weak, and he instinctively steadied me further. His touch wasn’t rough. It wasn’t demanding. It was... considerate.

"Does it hurt?" he asked softly, lifting his hand toward my face. His eyes lingered on my cheek, concern flickering across his features.

I stiffened slightly and shook my head, stepping back just enough to create space between us. "No," I said quickly, forcing steadiness into my voice. "I’m fine. I can manage on my own. Thank you, thank you so much for saving me."

I meant the words, truly, but unease curled tightly in my stomach. I didn’t know him. I didn’t understand his sudden presence in my life. And after everything that had happened tonight, closeness, any closeness, made my skin prickle with discomfort.

But he didn’t step away.

"I know you’re not fine," he said, not accusingly, just... honestly. His gaze softened. "Come on, Maria. There’s no need to shut me out. I just saved you, do you really think I’d hurt you?"

Before I could respond, his arm slipped around my waist, pulling me a little closer. The gesture startled me, my breath hitching in my throat. His hold wasn’t tight, but it was intimate enough to make my heart race for all the wrong reasons.

"You’re beautiful..." he began, then abruptly stopped, as if realizing what he’d said. His hand immediately fell away from my waist. "I mean...let’s get you an ice pack," he corrected himself quickly, clearing his throat. "It’ll help stop the swelling on your face."

Without waiting for my agreement, he gently took my hand. His grip was light, guiding rather than forcing, and despite my hesitation, my body followed. I was too exhausted to argue. Too shaken to think clearly.

He led me down the corridor, his steps confident, unhesitating.

And that’s when the questions started forming.

How did he know where he was going?

I glanced around as we walked, my mind racing despite my fatigue. He moved through the halls like someone familiar with the territory, turning corners without slowing, avoiding dead ends effortlessly. This wasn’t the behavior of a guest who had just arrived today. He walked like someone who had been here before. Many times.

The kitchen came into view, dimly lit but quiet at this hour.

Another question crept into my thoughts, colder than the rest.

What was he doing near the rogue quarters at that time of night?

Guests, especially Alpha guests, weren’t allowed there. It was forbidden territory. Yet he had been there, at the exact moment I needed someone. Coincidence felt too fragile an explanation.

And then there was the other feeling.

The strange sense of familiarity.

I watched him as he moved ahead of me, opening drawers, reaching for things with practiced ease. Something about his posture, the way he tilted his head when he concentrated, it tugged at a memory just out of reach. I was certain of it.

I had seen him before.

Somewhere.

But no matter how hard I tried, my mind refused to give me the answer.

I was still trying to piece everything together when he turned back toward me, holding something in his hand.

"Here," he said softly, stepping closer and lifting an ice pack. "I got this for you."

He paused, just long enough for the weight of his hesitation to press into the room, as if waiting for permission to move, to act, to step closer. His eyes lingered on my face, scanning, searching, but the curiosity that had marked his glance before was gone. Now there was something softer there, something heavier, a concern that wrapped around me in a way that made my chest tighten. It wasn’t forced, it wasn’t performative. It was genuine, instinctive, and startling in its intensity.

The kitchen seemed to shrink around us. The walls, which had always felt neutral, suddenly pressed closer, and the space that had been open moments before now felt intimate, suffocating even. The air seemed denser, every tiny sound exaggerated, the hum of the fridge, the faint drip of water from the sink, even my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. It was quieter too, the normal clatter of dishes and kitchen life replaced with a silence so thick it was almost tactile, pressing in on every side.

And there he stood, right there, a presence so grounding it almost seemed impossible to ignore. Comfort radiated from him naturally, effortlessly, and it was impossible not to notice. One thought rose, insistent, relentless, threading itself through every corner of my mind: Alpha Daniel was not just some stranger who had happened to save me. There was more to him, something deeper, something I couldn’t yet name, and whatever connection I had forgotten,or been denied, the weight of it mattered. It would matter.

He reached for me, guiding me gently toward one of the chairs, his hand brushing lightly against my elbow. His touch was careful, measured, as if the slightest pressure might shatter me, as if my fragility was visible to him in a way no one else had ever seen. We settled onto the chair, and the soft scrape of the legs against the floor sounded impossibly loud in the stillness, punctuating the quiet that wrapped around us like a thick, unyielding blanket.

Without a word, he lifted the ice pack again, holding it with care before pressing it against my cheek. I flinched instinctively, my muscles tensing before my mind had the chance to register. The cold was sharp, biting, sending a tingle that raced along my nerves, shocking my skin with its suddenness. And yet, despite the discomfort, there was a strange, grounding reassurance in the gesture, an unspoken promise threaded into the simplicity of his care.

"Oh...does it hurt?" he asked immediately, pulling the ice away. His brows knit together, worry flashing across his face. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to..."

His voice softened at the end of the sentence, and when I looked up, I saw it clearly, the tenderness in his eyes. It wasn’t forced. It wasn’t calculated. It was raw, almost... genuine.

For a brief moment, doubt crept into my thoughts.

Was I being too paranoid?

He hadn’t hurt me. He had saved me. He was careful with me now, watching my every reaction like it mattered deeply. He seemed harmless, kind, even. So why did my chest feel tight? Why did my instincts refuse to settle?

Calm down, Maria, I told myself firmly. Not everyone is out to hurt you.

He moved closer again, slower this time, giving me time to react. When he placed the ice pack back against my cheek, his touch was gentler, more deliberate. I didn’t flinch this time.

But the distance between us had closed.

Too much.

His breath brushed against my skin, warm and faintly scented, and my pulse jumped in response. Our faces were close,so close that I could count my breaths by the rise and fall of his chest. His lips were barely inches away from mine.

If I moved even slightly, they would touch.

The realization rooted me to the chair.

I froze, my body rigid, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. The world seemed to narrow, the silence growing heavier, thicker, until it felt like it might crush me.

He stilled too.

I felt it, the pause, the shift. His eyes dropped slowly, almost involuntarily, to my lips. The air between us changed, charged with something unspoken.

"You look..." he started, his voice lower now, rougher around the edges. "Enticing..."

He stopped abruptly, as if the word startled him as much as it did me.

"I mean..." he corrected quickly, pulling back as though burned. "How do you feel now? Does it still hurt?"

He withdrew fully, putting distance between us so suddenly that I felt the absence of his warmth like a loss. I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, my shoulders sagging slightly as relief washed through me.

"Yes," I said quietly, my voice steadier now. "It’s... it’s a bit better. Thank you, Alpha Daniel."

I reached out and took the ice pack from his hand, grateful for the small barrier it created between us.

He watched me for a second longer than necessary, then shook his head lightly. "Daniel," he said gently. "Just Daniel. There’s no need for formalities between us."

The way he said it made my chest tighten again, not with fear this time, but with confusion.

"Oh," I replied softly, nodding. "Thank you... Daniel."

The name felt strange on my tongue. Familiar, yet foreign.

I pushed myself to my feet, clutching the ice pack as though it were an anchor. "I should go now," I added quickly, not trusting myself to linger any longer. "I’ll be heading back to my room. Thank you once again. For everything."

Before he could respond, I turned sharply on my heels, my heart racing as I made my way toward the door. I didn’t look back.

I didn’t want to see the expression on his face.

I didn’t want to question why, despite everything, part of me felt unsettled walking away.