Chapter 3 UNDER THE ALPHA'S SHADOW

The moment Lyra stepped back into the clearing beside Kade, the mood shifted.

Conversation slowed, then fractured into whispers. Laughter faded. Wolves turned-some subtly, others openly-as they noticed the Alpha of Nightfall moving through the crowd with a girl no one recognized.

Kade didn't touch her.

He didn't need to.

His presence alone was enough to carve space around them. Wolves stepped aside instinctively, heads lowering, bodies angling away in respect-or caution. Lyra felt it immediately, the invisible pressure of attention closing in from every direction.

"Who is she?"

"He's never escorted anyone like that..."

"That can't be-"

The murmurs followed her like a shadow.

Her steps slowed, her shoulders tightening as awareness prickled across her skin. She resisted the urge to retreat, to vanish back into the safety of the trees.

Kade noticed.

Without turning his head, he adjusted his pace to match hers-steady, unhurried, giving her something solid to anchor to without crowding her space.

"They're staring," he said quietly, "because they don't understand."

"Understand what?" she asked under her breath.

"That I don't walk beside people without reason."

Her pulse jumped. "That doesn't mean anything."

"It means enough," he replied calmly. "No one here will challenge you tonight."

She glanced at him. "You make it sound like I need guarding."

"You don't," he said. "But attention invites risk."

The words unsettled her because they rang true.

They were nearing the edge of the clearing when someone stepped into their path.

Jarek.

Lyra recognized him instantly-the Beta's son from one of the mid-tier packs. Loud, confident, and always looking for a way to be noticed. His gaze swept over Lyra, lingering in a way that made her skin crawl.

"Well," he said with a crooked smile, "this is unexpected."

Kade stopped.

He didn't tense.

He didn't raise his voice.

He simply looked at Jarek.

The effect was immediate. The nearby wolves fell silent, attention snapping sharply toward them.

"You're blocking the path," Kade said evenly.

Jarek laughed, though the sound wavered. "Just curious, Alpha. Didn't realize escorts were part of the ceremony now."

Lyra stiffened, but before she could speak, Kade took a single step forward.

Not aggressive.

Not threatening.

Controlled.

"Curiosity," Kade said, "doesn't excuse disrespect."

Jarek's smile faltered. "I meant no offense. I was just wondering why you'd-"

Kade's gaze hardened. "Choose?"

The word landed like a warning.

Jarek swallowed. "I-"

"You don't need to finish," Kade said quietly. "You need to move."

Silence stretched. Then Jarek stepped aside quickly, lowering his head. "Of course, Alpha. My apologies."

Kade didn't respond. He waited until the space was clear before continuing forward.

Only then did he look back at Lyra.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded, though her heart was still racing. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yes," he said. "I did."

She frowned. "Why?"

"Because wolves like him mistake attention for invitation," Kade replied. "And I don't allow that mistake to go uncorrected."

She folded her arms, unsettled. "I don't want people thinking I belong to you."

"They won't," he said. "They'll think twice before approaching you without respect. That's all."

"It feels like more than that."

"Only because you've never been taken seriously before."

The words struck deeper than she expected.

He slowed his steps, lowering his voice. "Being overlooked teaches people to stay small. Being noticed feels dangerous after that."

She didn't respond. She couldn't.

After a moment, Kade extended a hand toward her.

Not insistently.

Not possessively.

An offer.

"Walk with me," he said. "If you want to."

Lyra stared at his hand, her chest tight. The bond stirred faintly, a low hum beneath her ribs-not demanding, just present.

She didn't take it.

But she stepped forward anyway, falling into pace beside him.

Kade accepted that without comment, letting his hand drop back to his side as they moved through the lantern-lit field together.

Lyra didn't know what frightened her more-that she didn't trust him, or that part of her felt safer walking at his side.

The night stretched on around them, unchanged on the surface.

But deep within her, something ancient had shifted.

And though she wasn't ready to name it-

She knew she was already standing in the Alpha's shadow.