As Aliyah was helped toward the healer's tent, Laura hurried after her, worry etched into every step.
The healer checked Aliyah over with a practiced hand. After a few moments, he looked puzzled.
"No fractures," he murmured, pressing gently along her ribs. "Strange. With how hard you hit the ground, I'd expect at least a cracked rib."
Aliyah winced but nodded. "It just aches a little."
He gave her a mild pain reliever and instructed her to rest.
As soon as he stepped away, Laura gave her a long, pointed look. Aliyah didn't meet her eyes.
"Aliyah," Laura said slowly, sitting beside her, "is there something you're not telling me?"
Aliyah stayed silent, her gaze fixed on the tent's fabric wall.
"I saw how Alpha Leo rushed to you," Laura continued, her voice low but urgent. "That wasn't normal. The way he looked at you—it wasn't just concern."
Aliyah forced a smile, trying to brush it off. "I guess he was just being helpful."
"Helpful?" Laura scoffed. "That wasn't just help. He moved so fast immediately you landed on the ground . And the way he stared at Beta Bayle afterward—Aliyah, a whole Alpha doesn't do that for just anyone."
Aliyah shifted, trying to laugh, but it came out thin. "Maybe he was just upset Beta Bayle went too far."
Laura leaned closer, eyes narrowing. "Or maybe… he likes you."
That froze Aliyah.
Her heart stuttered in her chest, but she masked it quickly, forcing her features into something neutral. "That's impossible," she said, shaking her head. "He would never like someone like me."
Laura didn't respond right away. She just watched her, suspicion and quiet wonder warring in her gaze.
Their conversation continued, but a new tension lingered between them—questions unspoken, and answers Aliyah wasn't ready to give.
---
When training ended, Beta Garrick paced his quarters, troubled.
The way Leo had rushed to Aliyah—too fast. Too concerned.
"I hope he doesn't have an eye for my Aliyah," he muttered. "That's not happening. Not under my roof."
His gaze darkened.
"Maybe letting her serve him was a mistake."
Driven by restless suspicion, Garrick stormed out, heading for Aliyah's quarters. But halfway there, he crossed paths with Bayle.
The tension hit instantly.
Bayle raised a brow. "You look like a man ready to rip throats."
"I warned you," Garrick snapped. "You pushed her too far."
"She didn't break," Bayle replied with a shrug. "Tougher than she looks."
"That doesn't give you the right," Garrick growled. "This is my territory. My people."
Bayle's eyes gleamed. "You're awfully protective of her—for someone who doesn't know where she came from."
"She's under my care. That's all that matters."
"Is it?" Bayle took a step closer, his voice lowering. "Because she looks familiar."
Garrick's gaze sharpened. "What are you saying?"
Bayle held his stare. "Aliyah… that's what you call her. But that's not the name I remember."
Garrick stiffened. "You're speaking in riddles."
"She had another name once," Bayle murmured. "One I never forgot."
A pause.
Then: "Dara."
Garrick blinked. "Who?"
Bayle smiled darkly. "Exactly. You don't know. But I do. Leo does."
He looked away, remembering. "Same eyes. Same fire. She disappeared years ago. Thought to be dead. And now here she is—no past, no memory, just… conveniently dropped into your lap."
Garrick's voice was firm. "You're reaching."
"Am I?" Bayle tilted his head. "Or are you sheltering the daughter of a traitor—and you don't even know it?"
He turned to leave, but paused. "Be careful, Garrick. That girl has a way of pulling kings to their knees."
And he walked away.
For a long moment, Garrick stood frozen.
He didn't know who Dara was.
But for the first time… he wondered who Aliyah truly might be.
---
Night fell.
Leo couldn't keep the storm inside him any longer. He had to see her.
Leo paced outside the guest wing, the silence of the night pressing in. He'd held back all day—too many eyes, too much tension after what happened in the training yard.
He stopped one of Garrick's patrol guards. "Where is Aliyah?"
The guard hesitated. "She's resting in her chamber, Alpha. Should I… escort you?"
Leo nodded. "Yes."
A few minutes later, the guard led him through a side corridor. They stopped at a modest wooden door.
"She's inside," the guard said, then quickly stepped back.
Leo knocked once, then entered.
Inside, Garrick sat beside her—not too close, but close enough. His posture was protective, almost territorial.
Leo's eyes flicked to the space between them, and something in his expression darkened.
He stepped in, quiet but deliberate.
Garrick rose immediately, surprised but composed. "Alpha Leo," he said with a nod. "Didn't expect to see you… here."
Leo's gaze didn't waver. "I could say the same, Beta Garrick."
"She's part of my pack," Garrick said, his voice carefully polite. "I was checking on her."
Leo's tone was level, but his meaning sharp. "And I appreciate that. Though to me… she's not just another pack member."
Garrick's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice firm. "She's under my protection."
Leo stepped further into the room, his tone cool. "I've noticed. You're quite… invested in her well-being."
"I have to be," Garrick shot back. "She was found by us, raised by us. Whatever she once was—she's ours now."
Leo's jaw tightened at the weight of Garrick's words.
Then Garrick added, sharper now, "I should be the one concerned about you—so concerned about her that you even came to her quarters tonight."
Aliyah's breath hitched. She sat frozen, every muscle tense, eyes flicking between them. The air felt electric—heavy with something neither of them was saying aloud.
Leo didn't back down. His gaze locked with Garrick's, unreadable.
He hadn't come to posture or argue. He'd come because the sight of her on the ground had haunted him all day—because the thought of her in pain made something in him unravel. He just couldn't stay away from her anymore.
"I came because I care," he said quietly. "And I don't need permission to check on someone who matters to me."
Garrick scoffed, his voice low and clipped. "It's not like you're the Alpha of our pack. I see no reason how she matters to you."
The silence that followed was thick, pulsing with unspoken truths.
Aliyah, who had remained frozen, finally stirred. Her voice was soft, but it cut through the tension like a blade. "Please… don't argue over me."
Both men turned slightly, their attention snapping to her.
She looked between them, eyes wide but steady. "I don't understand what's going on between you two—but I don't want to be the reason for any more hostility. I didn't ask for any of this."
Her voice trembled just enough to betray the storm inside her. "I'm just trying to belong somewhere… and both of you make it feel like I'm a burden."
That landed like a slap in the quiet room.
Leo's face shifted—something raw flickering behind his eyes. Garrick looked away, jaw tense.
Aliyah exhaled shakily, gaze dropping to her hands. "If I'm a problem… I'll leave."
That final sentence hung in the air like a threat neither of them wanted to test.