Unbeknownst to Elaine, one person could hear her-Alpha Darius. He had been standing outside the pack house, deep in conversation with his beta, when his eyes caught sight of her slipping out. At first, he thought nothing of it, but then he noticed the way she moved-shoulders rigid, fists clenched, as if she carried the weight of the world. And when she suddenly bolted into a run, he could not stop himself. Instinct-raw and unexplainable-drove him forward. He followed her. Elaine ran with such determination that she never once looked back. She didn't sense his presence trailing her, too lost in whatever storm raged inside her. Her feet barely seemed to touch the earth as she pushed forward, as though if she stopped even for a breath, the pain pressing in on her would consume her whole. Darius kept his distance, silent, watching, unwilling to break the fragile space she had created for herself. When they finally reached the waterfall, she stopped and he froze. The roar of crashing water filled the clearing, but it was her that held him captive. He could feel the pain pouring out of her, thick and suffocating. It was in the air, seeping into his skin. And then came her howl-a sound so raw, so broken, it twisted something deep in his chest. It wasn't just sorrow. It was the cry of a wolf stripped of everything, left standing with nothing but wounds no one else seemed to see. He had never witnessed anything like it. He could see her pain in the way her body trembled, hear it in her howl, feel it radiating from her like a storm breaking loose. What kind of situation could cause this much pain in such a young wolf? A wolf who, hours ago, had stood before him full of confidence and fire? The same woman who had greeted him at the gathering with sharp wit and quiet strength was gone-shattered, replaced by someone so achingly broken it tore at him to look. Confusion tangled with something deeper inside him. Why did he feel this way for her? Why did the sight of her suffering unravel him so? She was not his mate. He would have known, the bond would have told him, but the way he felt right now defied reason. All he wanted was to shield her, to gather her up and promise her she would never stand 1/4 (Chapter 21 alone again. More Rewards > His mind flickered back to the dining hall earlier that day. He remembered the whispers that drifted through the room when she entered. The sideways glances, the way conversations faltered as if she was a shadow best avoided. He remembered the way the Alpha couple spoke to her-sharp, clipped, their words heavy with unspoken meaning. And then the future Alpha- when Darius dragged her to his table - he was looking at her not affection but possession. He remembered too her parents, their eyes silently pleading with her to accept...something. To endure. And what of the strange fact that a beta's daughter-a wolf competent enough to carry herself with the quiet poise of a future Luna-sat by herself during meals? As if she had been pushed into a corner she did not belong in. That was no place for her, not for a wolf of her blood, her skill, her worth. None of it made sense. Darius's hands curled into fists at his sides. He didn't understand her situation, but he knew one thing: he wanted to. He needed to. Something inside him demanded that he step closer, that he bridge the gap and let her know she wasn't as alone as she believed. He wanted to be her friend, her confidant, the one she could lean on when the rest of the world turned its back. "Goddess," he whispered to himself, almost disbelieving. "Why do I feel this way?" She wasn't his mate. He knew that with certainty. And yet, what stirred inside him for her was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Protective. Fierce. Unyielding. The pain etched across her soul was tearing at his own, as though her suffering had somehow entwined itself with his heart. Without another thought, he moved. Step by step, closing the space between them, Darius walked toward her. His resolve is firm. Whatever this bond was, mate or not, he was determined to be there for her. Step by step, Darius moved closer. The roar of the waterfall cloaked his approach, though he wasn't trying to hide. His intent wasn't secrecy anymore. It was to reach her. Elaine stood with her back to him, shoulders trembling from the force of her howl. Her head tilted down, hair spilling forward as though it might shield her from the world. But even from a distance, he could see how fragile she looked. "You shouldn't be here." Her voice cracked, soft but firm, carrying through the rush of water. She didn't turn, but 2/4 : < Chapter 21 somehow she knew. She must have felt his presence. More Rewards > Darius stopped a few feet behind her. "And leave you alone like this? I don't think I can." Her hands tightened at her sides. "You don't understand." "Then help me," he said gently, his tone firm but not demanding. "Help me understand." For a long moment, she said nothing. The silence between them stretched, filled only by the waterfall and the echo of her pain. Finally, she turned her head slightly, just enough for him to see her profile. Her eyes glistened, bright with unshed tears, but her jaw was clenched in defiance. "Why do you care, Alpha?" she asked bitterly. "This isn't your pack. This isn't your burden." The title stung. He wanted her to see him as Darius, not the role he carried. He stepped closer, closing the gap so that his voice wouldn't be carried away by the water. Maybe it isn't my burden. But your pain... it doesn't feel like something I can ignore." " Her lips parted as if to respond, but no words came. He could see her walls-high, carefully built, ready to push him out. And yet beneath them, there was exhaustion, the kind that came from carrying too much for too long. "You're strong," Darius continued softly. "I saw it in you the moment we met. The way you stand, the way you speak. You don't bow easily. But right now... I see someone who shouldn't have to fight alone." Her breath hitched, barely audible over the water. She shook her head and whispered, "You don't know what you're saying." "Then tell me," he pressed, not with force, but with quiet determination. "Tell me what they've done to you. Tell me why the wolf I saw this morning-confident, sharp, full of life-is standing here shattered. Let me stand with you, even if it's only for tonight." For the first time, Elaine turned fully toward him. Her eyes were fierce, burning with both anger and hurt, but her face was streaked with tears she hadn't managed to hide. "You can't," she said, her voice trembling. "No one can. Not when it means destroying everything that holds this pack together." Darius met her gaze, steady and unyielding. "Then let it fall apart," he said. "Because whatever this is, whatever they've done to you, it's already breaking you . And I..." His voice faltered for just a heartbeat, but he steadied it. "I can't stand by and watch that happen." 3/4 < Chapter 21 More Rewards > The words hung between them, heavy, dangerous. For the first time, Elaine's expression cracked. She looked away, wiping at her cheeks with the back of her hand, but her voice was softer now, less guarded. "Why are you doing this, Darius?" He took another step, close enough now that the warmth of his presence brushed against her like a shield. "I don't know why," he admitted. "I just know that I need to. That I want to. You don't have to trust me yet, but I want you to know... You don't have to face this alone." Elaine's lips trembled, caught between wanting to believe him and knowing the cost of letting someone in. Her eyes searched his, as though looking for deception, but all she found was sincerity. For the first time, she didn't push him away. "Will you welcome me into your pack? Will you let me leave with you after the ceremony?" Elaine's voice was barely more than a whisper, fragile as if the words themselves might shatter.