The Unwelcome Courtesy

Naya’s POV

Alpha Kade didn’t knock. Of course he didn’t. I wasn't even surprised... Barbarians always lacked manners anyways.

One second I was standing in the middle of the room, still wrapped in the stupidly soft robe they’d given me, trying to convince myself this wasn’t a trap—and the next, the door opened like it belonged to him.

Which, I guess, it did.

The air shifted the moment he stepped inside. It bothered me that it always did. Like my body knew before my brain caught up. My wolf always stirred in his presence.

It made me uneasy, bristling, and I hated that reaction almost as much as I hated him.

When he entered the room, his eyes swept the room first. Then they moved towards the bed, the fireplace, the wardrobe, the dresses that filled the large wardrobe, and then they landed on me.

“You’re awake,” he said.

"Idiot..." I whispered under my breath. But from Dorian's chuckle, I knew he heard me too.

Proud, pompous, degenerate Alpha!!! No hello. No apology. Just a statement, like he was confirming a report.

I crossed my arms tighter over my chest.

“Congratulations. Your dungeon didn’t break me completely.”

His jaw tightened at my words. “That wasn’t the intention.”

“Sure,” I said. “And the chains were just decorative.”

He ignored that. Typical.

“I had this room prepared for you,” he said instead. “I came to make sure you were comfortable.”

I barked out a laugh. “Comfortable?”

“Yes.”

The way he said it...calm, controlled, like this was reasonable, made something snap inside me.

“You kill my pack, lock me in a cage, parade me like a trophy, rip my freedom away the second I touch it, and now you want to check in on my comfort?” I shook my head. “You don’t get to pretend you’re kind.”

“I’m not pretending,” he said sharply. “I’m trying to fix what I can.”

I took a step closer to him, my pulse hammering. “Fix? Fix?! You want to fix the lives of my father? My pack? You want to fix the numerous lives you destroyed first? Or maybe you want to fix the life of that innocent child you ripped from his mother only to have him die between the fangs of a rogue. You... You can’t fix this.”

His gaze flicked to my bare feet on the rug, to the way the robe hung loosely on my body, like he was cataloging damage.

“I cant fix any of that, but I did all this for you,” he said. “To give you space. Safety.”

“If you really want me to feel comfortable,” I said, my voice shaking despite my effort to keep it steady, “you should leave.”

The words hit the room like a slap.

He stilled.

“Leave,” I repeated. “That’s what I need. Not you hovering. Not you watching me like I might explode. Go.”

For a long moment, he didn’t move. His expression was unreadable, but I could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.

Then he nodded his head once.

“If that’s what you want,” he said. “I’ll go.”

He turned toward the door.

Relief washed through me so fast it almost made me dizzy.

But then he stopped.

Slowly, his head turned, not toward me, but toward the far corner of the room.

Toward Dorian.

Because of course Dorian was still there. leaning against the wall like this wasn’t the most awkward moment of my life. Arms crossed. Expression neutral, but his eyes were sharp. Watching. Always watching.

“And he stays?” Kade asked.

It took a second for me to realise that the question wasn’t directed at Dorian, and that it was directed at me.

I met his gaze without flinching. “Yes.”

His brow furrowed. “Why?”

I had a lot of reasons running through my head.

Because Dorian didn’t look at me like I was property.

Because Dorian didn’t murder my father.

Because Dorian didn’t make my skin crawl every time he breathed the same air as me.

But I didn’t say any of that.

“Because at least I like him,” I said instead.

I felt the silence creep into my damn room.

Real silence filled every space as I watched his nose flare... I stood still, nursing my own anger and heartbreak and watched Alpha Kade’s jaw clench.

He clenched his jaw so hard I thought his teeth might crack. Something dark flickered in his eyes—something ugly and hot and very, very dangerous.

Dorian, bless his stupid fearless soul, cleared his throat.

“I’ll… uh,” he said lightly, pushing off the wall. “Make sure she has everything she needs, Alpha.”

Kade didn’t look at him.

“See that you do,” he said coldly.

Then he left.

The door shut behind him with more force than necessary.

I exhaled shakily.

“Well,” Dorian said after a beat. “That went great.”

I snorted despite myself. “You’re still alive. That’s a win.”

“Low bar,” he agreed. “But I’ll take it.”

Kade didn’t go far.

I knew that without seeing it.

I could feel his anger radiating through the bond like heat through stone. It buzzed at the back of my skull, irritating and invasive.

I hated it.

“I think you just wounded his pride,” Dorian said casually, moving toward the wardrobe. “That’s going to sting.”

“Good,” I muttered.

He glanced at me. “Careful. Alphas with bruised egos tend to make terrible decisions.”

“I’m counting on it. He cant do anything worse than he has done.”

Dorian laughed. “You’re going to be trouble.”

“I already am.” I said in return.

He handed me a simple black dress from the wardrobe. “Try this. Dinner’s coming up, and if you’re going to be seen, you might as well scare them properly.”

I took it, hesitating. “You’re really not afraid of him, are you?”

Dorian shrugged. “He’s my Alpha. Not my god.”

I liked that answer more than I should have.