Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 273: The Fear in Her Eyes

Chapter 273: The Fear in Her Eyes

Eldur’s POV

Her breathing was soft—too soft.

I sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on my knees, staring at the curve of her brow. Her lashes fluttered every now and then, like she was dreaming. I wanted to believe it was something sweet. Something far from what happened tonight. Far from me.

My heart hadn’t stopped pounding since the moment I caught her.

I’d never held anything that mattered this much. Not magic, not power. Not even myself. Only her.

Nova.

I whispered her name like a prayer I didn’t deserve to say.

And I waited.

Watched.

Listened.

Worried like I wasn’t the kind of man people feared in alleys and whispered about in the dark.

I was used to silence. To standing alone. To being the shadow in someone’s nightmare. But this silence? This one was different.

It hurt.

"Nova," I murmured again, brushing a thumb against her hand. "Come on, wake up."

And as if the wind heard me, she stirred.

Her breath hitched. Her fingers twitched.

Then—her eyes opened.

And the world collapsed.

At first, she just blinked. Confused. Slow. Her gaze drifted around the room like she was trying to piece together time itself. Her brow furrowed.

Then... she saw me.

And froze.

Her whole body turned to stone, eyes wide, mouth parted just enough for a gasp that never came.

"Nova?" I said, my voice gentle—human, even. "It’s okay. You’re safe. I brought you—"

She scrambled away from me so fast she nearly rolled off the couch. "Don’t," she choked out, hands flying up like I’d try to grab her. "Don’t come near me."

That broke something in me I didn’t even know could break.

I didn’t move. I just sat there, hands open, heart wide, trying not to shatter. "Nova... it’s me. Eldur."

Her eyes flickered. "You—what was that? What are you?" Her voice cracked on the last word like it cut her to say it.

And suddenly, the apartment was too small.

I wanted to explain. Needed to. But every word got stuck in my throat. I wasn’t supposed to feel like this. I wasn’t supposed to be scared.

But I was.

Of her silence.

Of her stare.

Of the fact that she looked at me like I was the monster under the bed she never believed in until now.

"I’m—" I swallowed hard, shaking my head. "It doesn’t matter what I am. I saved you. That’s what matters."

Her laugh was sharp, panicked. "You think that makes it okay? You think that was normal?" She was pacing now, hugging her arms. "The lights—shattering—those men, Eldur! You threw them. And the portal? What was that?"

"I didn’t hurt you," I whispered. "I would never—"

"But you could," she snapped. "You could’ve! You still might!"

"No!" The word tore out of me before I could stop it. I stood without thinking, and she flinched so violently it made me freeze mid-step. "Nova, I would never hurt you. Please believe me."

She stared at me like she didn’t know me. Like I was a stranger wearing the skin of someone she once liked.

And maybe I was.

"I don’t even know who you are," she said, voice trembling. "I thought you were just this... weird, annoying guy who liked rooftop brooding and bad jokes. But you’re—you’re something else."

I gave a small, broken laugh. "Hey. I resent the ’bad jokes’ part."

She didn’t smile.

Not even a twitch.

I deserved that.

"Nova, I don’t expect you to understand," I said, quietly, like a confession I’d never meant to make. "But what you saw tonight... it’s who I am. And I’d show you all of it—everything—if you’d let me."

Her arms were tight around her chest now, like she was holding herself together.

"You scared me, Eldur," she said, and her voice cracked. "You scared me so much I couldn’t even scream. I didn’t know what to do. You just... tore everything apart like it meant nothing."

"They touched you." I met her eyes. "They laid hands on you like you were nothing. That’s not something I take lightly. Not now. Not ever."

Her eyes softened—for a second. Just a breath.

Then the fear returned.

"I need to go," she said, backing toward the door.

"No, wait—Nova, please." My voice broke. "Don’t walk out like this."

She hesitated.

Then looked me dead in the eyes.

And said the one thing I wasn’t ready to hear.

"I don’t think I can ever look at you the same again."

I froze.

Like my soul had been snatched straight out of me.

"I’m sorry," she whispered. "Thank you for... saving me. But I can’t stay here. Not with you."

And then she left.

The door clicked shut behind her.

And I stood there like a ghost still tethered to a place I no longer belonged.

The silence returned.

But this time... it wasn’t the peaceful kind.

It was the kind that screamed in every corner of the room. The kind that crawled up the walls and settled in your bones.

She was gone.

She was really gone.

And I’d let her go.

I sank to the floor, back against the couch where she’d lain just minutes ago. My hands dragged through my hair as I tried to breathe, tried to pull myself together.

But there was no rage this time. No storm. No hunger.

Just... hurt.

This time, Aethros didn’t stir.

He mourned with me.

Maybe I should’ve lied. Pretended to be human. Pretended I wasn’t born with claws and curses and centuries of darkness in my blood.

But that’s not who I am.

And I guess that’s why people leave.

Even the ones you’d give your life to protect.

Even the ones you—

Love.

I sat there for what felt like hours, her scent still lingering in the blanket I’d wrapped around her. I pressed my face to it and closed my eyes.

She was safe.

That was all that mattered.

Even if I never got to hear her laugh again. Even if she never looked at me like I was more than a nightmare in disguise.

I’d still protect her.

From the shadows if I had to.

Without her ever knowing.

Because that’s what wolves do.

We watch. We guard. We love quietly.

Even when it breaks us.