49
~Elara’s POV
We stayed like that... just looking at each other.
His hands were still on my cheeks. My hands were still resting lightly on his chest.
And the room felt strangely quiet, almost like it was waiting with us.
I didn’t know what to do with my breath. It kept catching... stopping... starting again.
His eyes searched mine, slow and careful, like he was trying to read sothing written behind them.
For a second, I wondered if he could actually hear my heartbeat. It felt loud enough.
He leaned a little closer. Not enough to touch again. Just enough to make feel the heat of him.
"Elara," he said softly, "can I... kiss you?"
The question hit so gently, but it still shook sothing deep inside .
No pressure. No command. Just a quiet request... like he needed my permission more than anything else.
My throat felt tight, so I couldn’t speak.
I just nodded.
His breath brushed my lips first. Then his hand slid behind my neck, warm and slow.
And then... he kissed .
It wasn’t rushed at first. It was soft, almost like he was trying to see if I would pull back.
I didn’t. I moved closer instead. Then the kiss deepened.
His other hand wrapped around my waist, pulling against him, and my fingers curled into his shirt without thinking about it. My whole chest felt warm and heavy at the sa ti, like sothing inside had finally exhaled after holding its breath for too long.
He kissed like he had wanted to do it for a while. And I kissed him back like I didn’t even know I was capable of wanting soone this much.
For a mont, nothing else mattered, not Lira, not Ronan, not my insecurities.
Just the way he held ... and the way his lips moved against mine... and how safe and wanted I suddenly felt in his arms.
When we finally pulled apart, I was breathing unevenly, my heart racing in a way that felt impossible.
He didn’t step back.
He stayed close... forehead almost touching mine... as if he wasn’t ready to let the mont go either.
Then he whispered, "Should we... continue this at ho?"
I don’t know why, but I actually smiled.
A small one. Shy, but real.
"Yes," I said. "Yes, we should."
He let out a quiet laugh. I laughed too. And for a mont, it felt like the whole world had softened.
He turned to . "They’ll bring our food here."
I shook my head. "I want to go to the cafeteria today."
He studied , like he wanted to argue... but then he nodded slowly.
"Alright," he said. "But be quick."
"I will," I said, smiling again before walking out.
I should have known the smile wouldn’t last.
The cafeteria went silent the mont I stepped in. Eyes turned. Whispers started almost imdiately.
"She’s the one," soone murmured.
"The slut from the Blueberries pack."
"Shaless girl. Following Alpha Darlon everywhere."
"Does Alpha even know she was a slut?"
My heart dropped.
I opened my mouth to speak, to defend myself, or at least say sothing... anything...
But before I could even speak, before a single sound managed to slip out of my mouth, sothing cold and heavy slamd against my chest. For a second, I did not understand what it was. All I felt was the shock of the impact and the sudden chill sinking through my clothes.
Then the sll hit .
Milk.
A full drink.
Poured, thrown, and splashed everywhere.
It soaked into my blouse, ran down my arms, dripped from my fingers. I blinked at myself, feeling the sticky liquid slide down my skin, feeling my throat tighten. It was like my body forgot how to move. I stood there, frozen in place as if soone had pressed pause on my entire life.
All around , the cafeteria reacted before I even could. People gasped loudly, chairs scraped against the tiles, hands flew to mouths, and then... almost imdiately... everything went quiet again. A strange, heavy silence. The kind that presses against your ears and makes your heartbeat sound too loud.
I only looked up when I noticed everyone else dropping their heads.
Darlon had walked in.
He had not been there a second ago, at least not where I could see him, but now he was standing in the entrance with his eyes locked on . His expression did not change at first. He simply stared at my milk‑soaked clothes, stared at the way I stood stiffly like a doll left in the rain.
Then sothing inside him changed.
I saw it.
It was like a switch flipped behind his eyes.
His jaw tightened slowly. His shoulders drew back. His breath ca out sharp and controlled, almost too controlled. And that was when my stomach dropped, because I knew this kind of silence never ant anything soft.
He didn’t ask what happened.
He didn’t demand an explanation. He just turned and walked straight to the woman who had thrown the drink.
She must have been brave a mont earlier, but now her hands were shaking so badly the cup slipped right out of her grip and rolled across the floor. She tried to step back, but Darlon reached her too quickly.
He hit her.
Hard.
Her head snapped to the side so fast it made my chest ache. She let out a sharp cry and pressed her hand to her cheek, her knees wobbling.
"Alpha, please..." she started, but he struck her again before she could finish. The sound echoed around the cafeteria like sothing breaking. She stumbled, almost falling, and the silence thickened even more.
Everyone dropped to their knees.
So bowed so low their foreheads touched the tiles.
So squeezed their eyes shut as if they were praying.
No one dared breathe too loudly. The fear was that strong.
The woman pressed herself against the wall, trembling, her voice thin and shaky as she tried again, "Alpha, please, I am so sorry, please..."
Darlon grabbed her collar and dragged her forward until she was inches from his face. His voice was low, but every word felt sharp enough to cut.
"You think you can throw sothing at her?"
She shook her head over and over. "No, Alpha, no, I swear, I didn’t an..."
"You are fired," he said. No hesitation. No doubt. Just that sharp decision slicing through the air. "HR, make sure she never works in this company again. Not here... not anywhere else."
"Yes, Alpha!" they all shouted at once.
She was screaming apologies as they pulled her away, but Darlon didn’t even look at her again.
He ca straight to .
He removed his coat and wrapped it around my shoulders, pulling it over my head to hide my face from everyone as he scooped up.
I didn’t resist.
I just leaned into him, stunned and embarrassed and grateful all at once.
He carried all the way into his office and sat gently on his table.
He moved back just enough to look at .
"Elara," he said, voice low and angry in a protective way I’d never seen before, "what would have happened if I didn’t get here on ti? I decided to follow you to the cafeteria, and that was the scene I saw. Have they been bullying you? Should I fire all of them?"
I shook my head quickly. "No... no, they haven’t. I’m okay."
"You’re not okay," he muttered, looking at the milk dripping down my front. "Look at you."
He reached for a clean towel and began wiping carefully, anger still written all over his face.
When he reached the edge of my top, he hesitated only one second before saying quietly, "Take it off. You’re soaked."
I nodded and removed the top, sitting there in just my inner singlet.
He kept cleaning the milk from my arms and chest, so gently it startled .
Sowhere between the wipes and my shyness, I found myself smiling.
He noticed.
"What?" he asked, still focused on my skin.
"I’m just..." I shook my head. "I’m surprised at this new side of you."
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