A Taste Of Peace.

Chapter 20— Naya’s POV

The bread felt heavy in my hand, heavier than it should have, as if every bite was a test I wasn’t sure I could pass. My fingers trembled, and I tried to force them still, forcing my focus on the taste, the texture, the simple act of eating. I was alive, but it didn’t feel like enough. My stomach twisted, knotted in ways I couldn’t name. Every chew reminded me of the chaos that had brought me here, the screams that haunted my sleep, the fire that never really left my memory.

Then I felt him, not looming, not demanding, Just… there. Sitting patiently and quiet on the floor, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from him without even turning my head. My chest tightened, and my fingers shook again, though this time it wasn’t just the food. I hated that it calmed me, I hated that it made my heart beat slower in relief, instead of faster in fear.

I wanted to pull away, to curl into myself and pretend like the room was empty, but I didn’t, I couldn’t, maybe not yet, not while he was like this..still, silent, watching me without expectation. That presence was dangerous in a way I hadn’t anticipated. Dangerous because it didn’t demand anything from me, and that made it nearly impossible to resist.

Then the door swung open.

“Naya, you’re finishing this food even if I have to fight you, do you hear me”

Uhghhh, I stopped eating the moment i saw Dorian. He was being so loud and annoying, which is his usual self, and I didn't need that right now. I felt very frustrated, and my stomach was twisting in irritation. But weirdly, I was also kinda... tense? I wasn't sure why. I gripped my bread tighter, like it was a shield to protect me from him.

I looked at Kade, and something shifted inside me. He was sitting on the floor, legs crossed, watching me with calm eyes. It was like a weight lifted off my chest…I relaxed a bit, feeling a weird sense of relief wash over me. But it was weird, and it threw me off. Why would I feel safe with him just sitting there? I didn't understand it, and that confused me even more. It was like there was something else mixed up in that feeling, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

“Oh.” Dorian blinked. “Ohhhhh.”

I wanted to smile, to laugh at how silly he was being. But I held it in. I stared down at the crumbs on my plate, focusing on them like they were the most important thing in the world. My hand felt tense, so I focused on it, trying to relax it. I breathed in, breathed out, trying to calm myself down. It was like I was hiding how I really felt.

"Oh! Go away," I whispered, not looking at him. My voice was steady, but beneath it, a thread of irritation pulsed. I was trying to sound calm, but the words came out a bit sharper than I'd planned.

“Not a chance,” he said, grinning, completely unbothered. “I came for food, and apparently I found… a date?!

My wondrous Alpha and the ice queen… in the same room without blood flowing? Has hell frozen over? Did the moon goddess visit while I was away?”

I was so damn confused. He called me the ice queen and said something about a date? what the hell is wrong with Dorian..I almost smiled, It was ridiculous. But... it actually kinda felt really nice, in a weird way I didn't get.

Kade moved beside me, his presence was calm and solid. My stomach tightened up. And suddenly I realized something that made me uncomfortable…I needed him there. I needed his quiet, steady presence, and that scared me a bit. I didn't want to admit it, but it was true.

He said "Shut up" with a low voice, like he was warning him. My lips curved up again, and I gave out a soft and tiny laughter, just for a second. It surprised me, and maybe him too. I felt a mix of relief and happiness that felt weird and a little scary. It was like a spark flew between us, and I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I laughed.

Dorian stayed crouched, his grin still plastered on his fucking face.

“Oh… oh really? Shut up, and it doesn’t even have any power behind it? Funny, Kade, I’ve never heard you say that without a growl. And you’re sitting on the floor! Like… like a very intimidating floor Alpha.”

I felt the corner of my mouth lift, showing I was amused. Just a small twitch, but real. And I hated that it felt so fucking good. The tension in my chest eased a bit, and that made me mad. The whole thing was ridiculous, and that was exactly what made it kinda... funny.

“Helping,” he said, and I felt the weight of his gaze on me. And my wolf stirred, like a tiny flame of hope flickering in the dark

Dorian moved closer, sneaky and waiting, and I felt my shoulders tense up again, like a warning was flashing inside me. But I kept chewing, kept breathing, forcing myself to stay calm. I focused on the bread, the simple thing I could touch and taste that made me feel okay, like it was anchoring me to the moment. Kade's hand near mine.. steady, patient…it was like another hold, a tie that was scary and unwanted, but somehow, it was comforting too, which made me feel lost and weird.

“Tell me,” I said softly after a pause, with a firmer voice this time, directed at Dorian.

He blinked, looking stunned. “Wait… what?”

“You fucking heard me,” I said, chewing slowly, deliberately. “Tell me. If it’s funny.”

I laughed when he told the story..really laughed for the first time since everything collapsed around me. My shoulders shook, my chest ached from relief, from surprise, from a joy I hadn’t thought possible in months. Heat bloomed across my face, warmth that had nothing to do with the fire I carried in my nightmares.

Kade’s hand stayed near mine, not possessive, My wolf, my nerves, settled, just a little. I could breathe again. I could exist, even if it is only for a moment, without the walls pressing in on me.

I looked between them, Dorian grinning like a fucking fool, and Kade, calm and steady, and there was a shift inside me.

I leaned back slightly in the chair, my shoulders loosening, my muscles relaxing just enough for me to feel it.

It was the first taste of normalcy in a long, long time. It felt so fucking good.

The bread in my hand no longer felt like a chore, or a measure of survival. It was a small, private act of reclaiming myself. And in that small space, in that moment, I allowed myself to hope, not recklessly, not foolishly, Just… a careful, tentative hope that maybe, here, in this ridiculous, chaotic room, I could exist without fear.

The laughter echoed in the walls, bouncing off the stone, carrying away something heavy I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying for so long. There was Relief, amusement, tension…it all mingled, it was raw and messy. I let myself breathe fully, letting the small pulse of life in the room fill me, let it ease the tight coil in my chest.

And I noticed something dangerous too, something very thrilling. I wasn’t flinching from him, not Kade, not from the weight of his gaze, but from the quiet patience that made my nerves settle and my pulse slow. I could fucking exist here, I could breathe, I could laugh.

For the first time in days, I let myself relax. Let the world in, let it brush over me like sunlight, like the warmth of a hand hovering near mine, like the absurdity of Dorian and his relentless cheer. I could feel the small stirrings of… something I hadn’t dared name. Something fragile, raw, and dangerous all at once.

And as I sat there, letting the quiet pulse of normalcy wash over me, then i realized… maybe, just maybe, I could exist here. With him…Without fear….not fully, maybe not yet, but just enough.

I ate another bite, slow and deliberate this time. And for the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t broken, not completely, not today.