All Chapters of Teasing Her Alpha Guard : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Dahlia "I don't know what to do, but I'll work something out, I promise. Just give me time to..." A guard walked past the end of the hallway, and Roman and I moved apart fast, putting distance between us like two teenagers caught somewhere they shouldn't be. My heart was still hammering from the balcony, from his mouth, from everything he'd said and everything he hadn't. I pressed my back against the wall and tried to look like I hadn't just been kissed senseless by my own bodyguard. The next day I decided to do something about the itch crawling under my skin. I couldn't just sit around waiting for proof to fall into my lap, so I snuck into Marcus's study while he was out. I'd learned his schedule well enough over the years. He wasn't usually in there around noon, only in the evenings when he liked to sit alone with his ledgers and whatever else he did behind that locked door. I slipped inside quietly, heart thudding, and got to work. I checked under his chairs, ran my hands along

RomanAs much as I wanted Dahlia, and I wanted her more than I had any right to, I didn't want it to look like I was taking advantage of her. Or maybe that wasn't the whole truth. Maybe something else had made me pull back from her this morning, something I wasn't ready to figure out, something that felt a lot more dangerous than desire.I set the laptop aside for now, along with the list of possible burner phone locations, and told myself I'd focus on that later. Right now I needed a shower and a few minutes where I didn't have to think about the way her body had felt against mine, or the guilt sitting like a stone in my chest every time I looked at her and remembered exactly why my employer had sent me to this pack in the first place.I took off yesterday's shirt, the same red one Dahlia had clearly appreciated, tossing it toward the hamper, when a soft knock landed against my door."Give me a minute," I called out, already reaching for a fresh shirt before changing my mind. Whoever

DahliaMy phone buzzed against the nightstand just as I finally managed to close my eyes, and something about the timing made my stomach drop before I even looked at the screen.For a full day I hadn't said a single word to Roman. I hadn't asked him to follow me around the estate or escort me to meals, though I still let him trail a few paces behind whenever my father was nearby, just enough to keep suspicion off both our backs. It wasn't hard to fake indifference in front of everyone else. What was hard was ignoring the way my own body kept betraying me every time he walked past.Something inside me wouldn't settle. My wolf, Patty, paced restlessly under my skin, howling low and mournful, whimpering every time Roman's scent drifted anywhere near me. Go to him, she begged, over and over, until I wanted to scream."Stop it," I whispered, pressing a hand flat against my chest like I could physically hold her still. "You don't get to decide what I do."Patty recoiled, hurt and confused,

Dahlia"Dahlia," he said slowly, opening his eyes.I'd been sitting in that stiff hospital chair for what felt like hours, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, terrified every time it seemed to catch or slow. The moment his voice broke the silence, relief hit me so hard my whole body sagged forward."Oh my goodness, Cassian, you're awake." I grabbed his hand, gripping it tight enough that he winced slightly, though he didn't pull away."I had the weirdest dream last night." He winced again, reaching up to grab his head, then shifted like he meant to swing his legs off the bed. I caught his arm before he could."Don't move, Cassian. You haven't healed properly.""What are you talking about?" His eyes finally cleared enough to actually take in the room around him, the machines, the IV line, the pale hospital walls. "Oh my. Why am I in a hospital?""You were attacked yesterday. Don't you remember? In the archive room."He went quiet, brow furrowing, like he was digging through

DahliaI met my father in his study, and for the first time in weeks I walked in already knowing exactly what action I needed to give.He looked up from his desk, tired lines still carved deep around his eyes from everything that had happened with Cassian. I let my shoulders sag a little more than they needed to. Let my voice come out smaller."Father." I stood in the doorway, twisting my hands together like I couldn't steady them. "I've been thinking about what you said, about the Vale territory."He set his pen down slowly. "And?""You're right." I made myself look at the floor for a second before meeting his eyes again. "I've been fighting you on this because I was scared. Because I didn't want to admit how unsafe I actually feel here right now. But after what happened to Cassian, I can't keep pretending everything is fine."Something in his face shifted, relief and guilt tangled together, and I hated how easy it was to produce that reaction just by handing him the words he'd been