Luna Aurora (Alpha Fenrir)

Chapter

265

The cave offered little warmth, its damp walls amplifying the chill of the night. Elyra sat close to the fire, her knees drawn to her chest as the flames cast dancing shadows across her face. Dain sat opposite her, his back against the rough stone, silent and brooding. "You've been distant," Elyra whispered, her silver hair catching the flickering glow.

Dain's head snapped up, his orange eyes locking onto hers. He opened his mouth, then closed it, struggling for words.

"I'm trying to protect you," he finally said, his voice low and heavy. "From me."

head, confusion flickering across her face. "From you? Dain, that doesn't make

on his knees. "It's not just the monsters out there we have to fight. It's what's inside us. I don't even know what I am, Elyra. I don't know what's happening to me- -or to you. And I can't let... this-whatever it is-make things worse." Elyra reached for his hand, her touch soft and deliberate. "I don't need protection

air, heavy with meaning. Dain stared at her, his resolve faltering as the walls he had built around

fought it for so long," he admitted,

eyes searching his. The tension between them snapped, years of suppressed emotions surging

the firelight danced around them. It was a collision of longing and fear, a desperate grasp

his cheek, and Dain closed his eyes, savoring the touch even as guilt and