CHAPTER 9: Baby Steps

We spent three hours together that night. We didn't do anything special, just sat on his couch, talking about childhood memories and ridiculous pack gossip. It was the most time Darius and I had spent together since the marking, and by the end, the mate bond felt less like a constant ache and more like a comfortable warmth.

“I should go,” I said eventually, noticing it was past midnight. “You probably have early training.”

“Five AM.”He walked me to the door, “Same time tomorrow for breakfast?"

"As long as you actually talk to me instead of reading reports.”

His mouth twitched. “I will try.”

Back in my quarters, I touched the mark on my neck. It was warm, not painful. The constant pull toward Darius had eased, satisfied with the evening we’d shared. Progress was small and tentative, but it was there. I actually slept that night.

Breakfast the next morning was different. Darius arrived exactly at seven, but instead of burying himself in his tablet, he actually looked at me. He asked how I’d slept, and the conversation felt almost natural.

"Kyle is planning a bonfire tonight," he said halfway through his eggs. “A social thing for the younger warriors. He wants me to go.”

“Are you going to?”

I do not do social events. I have work."

"You always have work." I leaned forward. "Go. Consider it practice for being less of a hot robot.”

He actually smiled. “I am not a robot.”

Darius’s eyes widened. "You think I am hot?"

Heat flooded my face. "I did not, shut up."

"You said 'hot robot.' That implies attraction." He looked amused, a new expression on him. "That is interesting."

I grabbed a piece of bread and threw it at him; he caught it without even looking.

"I am leaving before you get more insufferable," I announced, standing up.

"Lila." I turned at the door. The smile on his face transformed him, making him look younger and less damaged. "Come to the bonfire with me. If I have to suffer through social interaction, you should too.”

The invitation surprised me. It was the closest he’d come to admitting he wanted my company. The mate bond flared with warmth. "Okay. What time?”

“Eight. I will come get you.”

The bonfire was in a forest clearing on the southern edge of the territory. By the time we arrived, after Darius insisted on triple-checking security reports, about forty wolves were already there.

"Beta Darius! You actually came!" Kyle appeared, grinning like he’d won a bet. "And you brought Lila. This is amazing."

" Kyle grabbed Darius’s shoulder. "Come on, I will get you a drink."

Darius glanced at me, his instinct to flee warring with his promise to try. "I will be back," he told me, letting Kyle lead him toward the drinks.

I stood at the edge of the clearing, feeling awkward among the high-ranking warriors. Vera appeared and hugged me. "You came! And Darius looks like a person instead of a statue. What did you do?"

"Just talked. He’s trying."

The evening progressed with typical pack dynamics. Music played from a portable speaker, and the fire crackled cheerfully. I stayed on the edges, watching Darius nurse a drink and look intensely uncomfortable.

"Omega."

I turned to find Sienna,

"I want to apologize. For what I said in the library. And the bakery.” She grimaced. "Beta Darius made it clear that if I harass you again, I’m on permanent border patrol.

"You’re only saying this because he threatened you."

"Yes. Obviously, so accept it " She shook her head,

"What was that about?" Darius appeared at my elbow, making me jump.

"She apologized. " I looked up at him. "You didn't have to threaten her."

"Yes, I did. No one gets to make you miserable." His protectiveness made the bond hum with approval.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"Socializing is inefficient," he grumbled.

I laughed. I linked my arm through his without thinking. "Come on. Let's be inefficient together."

I felt him tense, then slowly relaxed. The bond sang at the voluntary connection. We walked toward the fire, and for the first time, I didn't care that wolves were staring.

"Some warriors want to challenge you to arm wrestling," Kyle told Darius. "I told them you’d destroy them."

Darius looked at me helplessly. "Go," I said, releasing his arm.

The match lasted ten seconds before Darius slammed Derek’s hand down with controlled precision. The crowd erupted. Three more challenged him; he beat them all without breaking a sweat.

He made his way back to me, leaving the cheering warriors behind.

"It was... tolerable," he said, a hint of a smile appearing. "We can leave soon if you want."

"Do you want to?"

He looked at the laughing crowd. "Not yet. If you are comfortable staying."

We stayed another hour. At one point, a young warrior asked about my bakery. When I explained I couldn't run it from here, Darius surprised me. "You could use the pack kitchens a few days a week to keep baking."

"Really?"

"The pack needs good food. You are good at making it.

At ten, we walked back to the pack house in comfortable silence. I moved closer to his warmth, and he didn't pull away.

"Thank you," I said at my door. "For coming tonight. It meant something."

Darius was quiet for a moment. "It was not as terrible as I expected."

"High praise." I smiled. "Same time tomorrow for breakfast?"

"Actually,” he hesitated. "Would you want to have dinner tomorrow instead? ? Kyle said mates should do things besides breakfast." Darius shoved his hands in his pockets. "So. Dinner?"

"Yes. Dinner sounds good."

"Six PM. I will meet you." He paused, looking back. "You were right about needing to try. Tonight was... good."

He disappeared into his room. I went into mine with the bond feeling settled and warm. Baby steps. But they were steps in the right direction.