Chapter 10
Kora’s POV
The next morning, I woke up feeling weak, my body heavier than usual. Slowly, I pushed myself up, rubbing my eyes before turning my head. My breath caught.
Alpha Edward lay beside me, his face calm, lips slightly parted as he slept.
For a moment, I just stared.
I understood now why every she-wolf threw themselves at him. He was dangerously handsome, the kind of man who could make anyone forget their name with just one look. His strong jaw, the curve of his lips, even the way his lashes rested against his skin—he was perfect. Too perfect.
Not just them... if I wasn’t careful, even I might do something reckless.
I leaned down a little, lowering my head so I could see him more closely. My heart thudded against my ribs, my wolf stirring restlessly inside me.
Before I could stop myself, a smile tugged at my lips.
“Am I that good to look at?”
His deep voice startled me. His eyes opened slowly, catching me red-handed.
I gasped and tried to move back quickly, but his hand shot out, firm and unyielding, pulling me back against him.
My words tumbled out in a rush. “I wasn’t staring! I was just... looking.”
The moment the nonsense slipped out, I wanted to slap myself. What’s the difference between staring and looking?
His eyes locked on mine, sharp and amused, not letting me escape. Heat rushed up my neck as I fumbled for words, but none came.
“Have you gotten enough?” he asked softly, his voice low and teasing.
I swallowed hard, lost in the weight of his gaze. Seconds stretched like hours.
Finally, he released me. I scrambled up, putting distance between us, but I could still feel the burn of his stare on my skin.
He didn’t stop watching me, his expression unreadable, almost as if he wanted me to explain myself.
I fiddled with my fingers nervously. “I... I’m sorry. I think it must have been when I woke up to use the bathroom. Somehow I... ended up by your side.”
Even as the words left me, I knew how unbelievable they sounded. His brow arched slightly, but he said nothing.
The silence wrapped around us, heavy and unspoken. My heart hammered louder and louder, and I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes again.
Flustered, I hurried into the bathroom. I didn’t even know what I was doing—there was nothing I needed in there, but I just needed to get away from his piercing eyes.
Behind me, I heard a low chuckle rumble from Alpha Edward. Heat crept into my cheeks, and I tried to shake it off with a small smile, even though he couldn’t see me.
When I lifted my head to the mirror, something caught my attention. My hand. I froze.
A thin line of blood trailed across my skin. The wound looked fresh, raw. Slowly, I lifted my fingers and touched it, wincing at the sting.
“How...?” I whispered. “When did I even get hurt?”
I didn’t remember. Not last night. Not this morning. Nothing.
The longer I stared, the stranger it felt. My chest tightened with unease.
“Kora, are you okay?” Edward’s deep voice called from the room, breaking my thoughts.
“Yes!” I answered quickly, maybe too quickly. My voice sounded shaky even to my own ears.
Almost on instinct, my hand moved from the wound to my neck. My breath caught as my fingers brushed against the place where he had marked me. A dull heat pulsed beneath my skin, the mark alive as if it remembered something I didn’t.
I pressed harder, feeling the strange warmth throb under my fingertips.
What is happening to me? I thought, staring at my reflection. My hand still ached, and the fresh wound made no sense.
I splashed cold water on my face, trying to clear my head. My skin tingled where his mark was, and I didn’t want to think about what it meant. I had already been in the bathroom too long, so I forced myself to step out.
The moment I opened the door, Alpha Edward’s eyes were already on me.
“Thought you didn’t want to come out,” he said, his voice calm but with something underneath, like he was watching me too closely.
I forced a weak smile. “I... just needed a moment.”
He tilted his head. “Why? Did something happen?”
I hesitated, my heart racing, then asked, “Did something happen yesterday night?”
His reaction made me pause. His brows shot up, and for a second, he looked genuinely shocked.
“Why would you ask that?” he replied slowly, his tone sharper than before.
I lifted my injured hand, showing it to him. “Because... I got hurt, but I can’t remember how. I don’t remember hitting anything or doing anything that could leave this mark.”
“Oh, just that?” he said lightly, like it was nothing. But his eyes betrayed him. They flickered, dark and unreadable, like there was something more—something I wasn’t supposed to know yet.
“Yes, just that,” I insisted, staring at him.
He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “It must have been when you went to the bathroom last night. You don’t even remember when you came to sleep beside me. You were so restless.”
His words hit me. He wasn’t wrong—I didn’t even remember how I ended up next to him. Maybe... maybe it was true. Maybe I had hurt myself without realizing.
“That’s true,” I murmured, though a part of me wasn’t convinced. “Sit down,” he said firmly, pointing to the chair near the bed.
I obeyed, still confused, while he pulled out a small first aid box. My eyes widened. “It’s not much of a wound. I can handle it.”
“I know,” he said, kneeling in front of me, “but it still needs to be treated.”
I looked down at him, stunned by his calmness, the way his strong hands were so careful as they cleaned the cut. His touch wasn’t rough like I expected—it was gentle, almost protective.
My chest tightened. Only if Alpha Aaron was like this...
If Aaron had ever shown me even half of this care, maybe my heart wouldn’t be carrying so many scars.
But this wasn’t Aaron. This was Alpha Edward—the man I didn’t trust, yet the same man whose presence was pulling me closer no matter how much I resisted.
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