Pandora pulled back just a fraction, surprised at his sudden, violent edge.
"You’ll hurt me because of a girl whose name you don’t even know?"
Dorian didn’t blink. He let her feel the full, suffocating weight of his Alpha aura, his eyes turning pitch black as his posture turned rigid.
"I wouldn’t want to hurt you, Pandora," he murmured, his voice dangerously smooth. "But watch your mouth when you speak of her."
"We’re just worried, Dorian," Anthony cut in, stepping firmly between the siblings. "You cannot bring a bleeding stranger into the pack and expect us to remain silent."
The absolute darkness in Dorian’s eyes slowly faded, returning to their original golden brown.
He straightened, fixing Anthony under an icy stare.
"Keep your curiosity on a leash," he muttered. "I do what I please in this pack. I don’t need you two questioning my judgment."
Pandora shook her head in utter disbelief as he brushed past her and walked towards the door.
"What’s gotten into you, Dorian?" she called after his retreating back. "Why are you so protective of this girl? What’s so special about her?"
Dorian stopped at the front doors. He remained still for a long moment, staring at the oak wood.
"There’s something about her," he said, not turning around. "Something I can’t put my finger on. From the moment I saw her at Iridian three years ago, my wolf was completely pulled to her. So hold back your questions until she recovers."
He opened the door, but paused again and turned.
"One more thing. I don’t want anyone in that room with Nina. Especially you, Pandora."
Pandora wanted to argue, but the absolute finality in his tone shut her down. It wasn’t every day she saw her brother fiercely shield a woman.
"Fine," she muttered.
Dorian nodded once, casting a sharp glance at Anthony before stepping out into the cool night air.
The door slammed shut behind him, leaving a ringing silence behind.
Pandora turned a deeply confused look toward Anthony.
"Do you think she’s his mate?"
Anthony shook his head without hesitation. "I doubt it. Dorian’s demon blood prevents him from ever having a true mate bond. It’s got to be something else."
"This is not good," Pandora said, her brow furrowing. "He is getting married to Samantha in a few weeks. And as much as I hate Samantha’s guts, the presence of this new girl is going to ruin a lot of things."
...
Dorian returned to the mansion an hour after midnight.
He had spent the last few hours running through the forest in his enormous wolf form, letting the freezing wind clear the chaos from his mind.
A few meters away from the mansion, he shifted.
Dark fur receded, razor-sharp claws pulled back, and his bones crunched and reshaped as his human form materialized, fully clothed.
He headed inside and walked straight up to his bedroom, stepping silently through the door.
"How is she?"
Nina looked up from the couch, blinking away sleep as she stood up.
"She’ll live," she answered softly. "I managed to stitch up the wound in her arm and stop the bleeding. It will take a few weeks for her to fully recover."
Dorian walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down beside Alyssa. The maids had already bathed her and changed her into clean, linen clothes. She didn’t look so deathly pale anymore.
He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, his gaze tracing the gentle slope of her jaw.
And there it was again. That intense, magnetic pull that flared to life the second he was near her.
What the hell was this feeling?
"When will she wake?"
"Probably tomorrow morning," Nina said. "Her body is completely worn out from the trauma."
She paused, contemplating her next words, but Dorian caught her hesitation instantly.
"What is it, Nina?"
She sighed, raising her eyes to meet his. "I noticed that she didn’t heal. Is she...?"
"Wolfless," Dorian muttered, his voice dropping. "Yes. She’s wolfless. And she has no mate."
"Oh." Nina lowered her eyes, a dozen burning questions rushing to the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t dare push further.
"I met her three years ago at Iridian," Dorian added quietly after a long silence.
Nina’s head snapped up in sheer surprise. "In the Southern pack?"
He nodded, his eyes never leaving Alyssa’s face.
"I don’t know her name, or what her story is. But finding her again in my pack isn’t a coincidence. It’s like I was meant to find her."
He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest before standing up from the bed.
"I’ll be in the adjoining room. If she awakens, or if you need anything, come get me immediately."
Nina bowed. "Yes, Alpha. I will watch her closely."
"Thank you, Nina." He gave her a firm, appreciative nod before exiting the room.
He would have preferred to sleep right there beside Alyssa, to let the scent of lavender and rain lull him into the first peaceful sleep he’d had in years.
But he couldn’t let his pack see just how quickly this obsession was consuming him. Not yet.
Once she awakened in the morning, he would get her name and the answers he needed.
Then, he would decide whether to keep her with him, or send her away.
...
By the next morning, Alyssa had still not opened her eyes.
Sometime in the middle of the night, a violent fever had taken hold of her.
Nina had spent hours applying cool cloths and brewing herbs to break the heat.
By the time the sun rose over the mountains, the fever had finally broken.
"She still hasn’t stirred?" Dorian asked, leaning against the doorway. He had showered and changed into casual dark trousers and a gray t-shirt.
"Give her a little more time, Alpha," Nina murmured gently, gathering her supplies. "We don’t know what kind of hell she survived. She will awaken when her body is ready."
Dorian stepped into the room, taking his place on the edge of the bed beside Alyssa.
He noticed that the color had fully returned to her skin, and her complexion was healthier now.
When Nina strapped her medical bag over her shoulder, he raised his head.
"Leaving?"
"I’ll be back to check on her shortly," she assured him. "I just need to see my children and get a little rest. Last night was incredibly tense."
"You’re right. Take all the time you need."
"Thank you, Alpha." She bowed deeply and quietly slipped out of the room.
After the door clicked shut, Dorian turned his full attention back to the sleeping girl. Now that the dirt and blood had been washed from her skin, he realized just how strikingly beautiful she truly was.
Long, thick lashes curled perfectly over her closed eyelids. He found himself desperately wanting her to wake up, just so he could see those bright blue eyes again.
Her skin was delicate, smooth as pearls. And her lips—his breath hitched slightly.
They were shapely, plump, and completely flawless.
But it was her hair that truly captivated him. It was dark as tar at the roots, before shifting into a vibrant, fiery red at the tips. He had never seen a shifter with hair like hers.
He reached out, gently caressing the line of her cheek. To his surprise, she stirred, leaning her face instinctively into his warm touch.
His heart skipped a beat. He waited, holding his breath for her eyes to open, but she simply settled back into her deep slumber.
"Wake up soon, little lamb," he whispered into the quiet room. "Wake up and tell me why you have such a hold over me."
He left the pack an hour later, forced to attend an urgent meeting with the court council regarding pack matters.
Before leaving, he placed two guards right outside the door with strict instructions: no one was to enter that room.
But a few minutes after he drove off with Jake, the front doors of the mansion slammed open with a deafening bang.
The violent sound startled Pandora, Alec, and Anthony, who were in the sitting room.
Samantha walked in. She was clad in a glittering emerald dress that clung tightly to every curve of her figure, balanced on high stiletto heels.
She flicked her short blonde hair off her shoulders, pulled off her dark sunglasses, and glared at the three of them with absolute venom.
"I heard Dorian brought a stray into my house last night," she said, her brown eyes hardening into ice. "Where is she?"