Chapter 16-The tavern

Selene pov

Walking into the tavern, everything seemed to still. Conversations died, cups froze mid-air, and every eye turned to us.

They definitely weren’t expecting their Alpha…especially not with a girl like me by his side.

Ignoring everyone, he walked straight to the receptionist…a beautiful girl with the same rich dark skin as his. She was smiling like she’d just won a trophy.

“What brings you here today, Alpha?” she asked, completely ignoring me.

“I need a room,” he said simply. “Somewhere I can stay till tomorrow.”

Giving me a dirty look, she walked over to the board filled with keys, grabbed one, and handed it to him.

“I’m sorry, there’s just one room,” she said….speaking only to him, like I wasn’t even there.

“Don’t worry, we’ll stay together,” he said casually.

“What?” she snapped, her mouth falling open like someone had just slapped her.

Her eyes flicked to me, then back to him, disbelief written all over her face.

I couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at my lips.

But worry began to fill me.

The thought of spending a night with another man didn’t sound too appealing. Though I’d had… experiences with men even before meeting kael, even if I hated to admit it….my wolf was still appalled by the idea of another male so close to me.

But with Sylvester… it felt different.

There was something about him…something steady and calm. I didn’t feel on edge around him. My wolf didn’t fight his presence. In fact, she seemed to lower her guard entirely.

And that, more than anything, unsettled me.

“Sorry, Alpha,” the receptionist said suddenly, her voice a little too sweet. “I must’ve made a mistake. Turns out there is another room available after all.”

Sylvester didn’t even glance at her. “We’ll still take the one.”

Her smile twitched. “But…”

“I said…” he cut in, his tone sharp now, “—we’ll take the one.”

She blinked, clearly thrown off, but she didn’t push further. Just nodded, lips tight, and handed him the key with forced politeness.

Without waiting, Sylvester turned and started up the stairs. I followed him, feeling the weight of the woman’s eyes on me the entire way. Her glare felt like claws at my back.

At the top of the stairs, he paused to look at me.

“You okay?”

I nodded, swallowing. “Yeah.”

“But I would prefer it if I had my own room,” I said softly as we reached the top of the stairs.

“I know, little rabbit,” he replied, a sly smile tugging at his lips. “I’ll get the key eventually… I just liked the look on her face.” He chuckled slowly.

I tried not to smile as I nodded and followed him. He stopped at the door and handed me the key, bowing slightly in mock formality. “Good night, Luna.”

I rolled my eyes, taking the key from his palm.

“If you need anything,” he added, “I’ll be in the room beside yours.”

“What if it’s occupied?” I asked, arching a brow.

“Well,” he said, a glint in his eye, “I guess they’ll just have to empty it out.”

I stared at him.

He winked. “Sleep well.” Then he turned to walk.

Stepping inside, the room was more spacious than I thought it would be.

Of course, they gave him a quality room….he was an Alpha. And in our world, that meant something. Werewolves already held power in the natural order, but an Alpha? An Alpha was a force of nature. The only one above them in the hierarchy was the Moon Goddess herself.

The bed was wide, draped in fine linen. The floor was polished, the walls carved with faint runes I didn’t recognize. It smelled faintly of pine and polished wood.

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment, unsure of what I was feeling.

I stepped into the bathroom, surprised to find an array of products neatly arranged on the counter. Luxurious-looking bottles lined the shelves….scents, oils, soaps. I wasn’t familiar with most of them, but I took my time, picking up one after the other, sniffing carefully.

One caught my attention instantly.

It smelled like something from the park house….soft roses laced with a warm, exotic hint of lavender.

I didn’t stay long in the bath.

Stepping out, I wrapped a towel around myself and glanced around…only to realize I hadn’t packed a change of clothes. The only top I had got lost when I met the patrol guard.

Just as the worry crept in, a soft knock came at the door.

Peeking through cautiously, I saw a young girl, probably no older than fourteen… She stood outside holding a small pile of folded clothes in her arms. She looked a little nervous, her eyes wide as she met mine.

“These are for you, miss,” she said, her voice soft and careful. “Alpha said you might need something clean to sleep in.”

I blinked, surprised, then nodded slowly and opened the door a little wider. “Thank you.”

She handed me the clothes which were a simple silk top and loose sleeping pants…and gave a quick bow before hurrying off down the hallway.

Closing the door behind me, I stared down at the clothes in my hands. It was small, thoughtful things like this that made everything harder to understand.

Why was Sylvester being so kind?

Offing the light, I crawled into bed, letting out a quiet sigh as the tension began to seep from my body.

I don’t know if I was doing the right thing by trusting Sylvester. I don’t know his motives. No one ever does anything for free…ever.

Still, there was something about him that didn’t make my wolf bristle. That had to mean something, right?

Even though my bones ached and my eyes were heavy, sleep wouldn’t come. My mind was racing too fast. I stared up at the ceiling in the dim glow of moonlight slipping through the curtains, my thoughts scattered and sharp.

I don’t feel like sleeping at all… no matter how tired I feel.

I just want to close my eyes and forget everything…..

But I can’t.

I ended up tossing and turning in bed until the sky started turning bright.

I hadn’t also considered what I would do when the heat attacks come up again.

What if it happened here….away from Kael, away from anyone who understood what I was going through?

I didn’t know what I was thinking when I ran. Maybe I was being impulsive.

Maybe I just wanted to feel in control again… even if it meant making reckless choices.

But now, lying in a stranger’s bed in a foreign pack, I was starting to second guess everything.

My thoughts were spiraling when a soft knock at the door pulled me back.

I sat up slowly, wiping a hand down my face.

“Who is it?” I called out, voice low but steady.

“Open the door, Princess. It’s me….Sylvester.”

I hesitated for a second, then gulped and reached for the handle.

As the door creaked open, the scent of clean soap and rain hit me. He smelled fresh….like he’d just stepped out of the shower.

His eyes scanned my face, concern flashing through them.

“Wow… you don’t look so good.”

“Did you sleep at all?” he asked, his voice softer now.

“I’m okay,” I muttered, though even I didn’t believe it.

He didn’t press. Just stepped inside when I moved aside and closed the door gently behind him.

“Come in,” I added, a little too late.

He studied me a moment longer. “We leave for the park house in an hour.