She could not tell but she knew he was there by her side all night. Despite everything, she never once felt unsafe around him. Furthermore, he had not done anything indecent to her.
Noticing that the room door was slightly opened, curiosity got the better of her. She carefully got onto her feet. Using the bed frame for support, she stood up. Having been on bed rest for some time caused her muscles to feel sore and her head began to spin.
It took her a few moments just to steady herself enough to move forward. She carefully left the bedroom, trying not to make too much noise. Beyond the bedroom was a long hallway with rooms on each side.
Following her sense of smell, she passed the dining room and lounge to enter the kitchen. She stood at the archway in disbelief.
All of the Alphas she knew had servants to look after their every need. Most don't even get their own glass of water. But Alpha Damien was clearly different. He was shirtless, with his back to her.
She was quick to notice the tattoo he had that covered his entire back. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It had moon sigils and ancient runes that went all the way down to his tailbone.
He was humming to himself as he masterfully flipped the omelet in the sizzling pan. Safira was practically salivating. At the food or at the handsome Alpha? Perhaps a little bit of both.
"Good morning, sunshine," he said without turning to see her. He already knew she was there, looking at him.
Safira shivered and gulped. She thought she was being sneaky, but clearly she failed. She straightened her back and mumbled back a greeting in return.
He turned to face her with a smile as he switched off the stove, frying pan in hand. The omelet he had been working on was cooked to perfection.
"I thought I did make us some breakfast. You need all the energy you can get if you're going to recover," he reminded her as he plated the omelet.
"Breakfast? The two of us?" She asked in confusion.
Damien chuckled, "Do you want more company? I thought my company would be sufficient."
"No… I…" Safira didn't have words for it. In the face of the shameless Alpha, she admitted defeat.
She walked out of the kitchen, Damien following closely behind with two places in his hands. He motioned her to take her sit across from him at the dining table. Cutlery and drinks had already been set.
"You prepared everything?" She asked as she took her seat, not wanting the silence between them to make things more awkward.
"Yes. I hope it's to your liking."
"You didn't have to, I can eat anything."
"Oh but I wanted to," he replied with a smile before glossing over it quickly, "Besides, I need to eat too."
The omelet had cheese, diced mushrooms, peppers, and ham in it. Safira didn't realize how hungry she was until she took the first bite. It was delicious.
"Mmm so good," she could not help but praise as she took another bite.
"I'm glad you like it."
Hoping that they could break the ice a little more, Damien began to ask Safira a little more about how she ended up in the situation she was in. Though she was grateful to him for what he had done for her, she still wasn't sure how much she could trust him.
Against her own better judgment, she lied.
"I'm a rogue, I don't have a pack," she said as she bit her lip, "I entered packgrounds on accident and was attacked."
"Is that so?" Damien said absentmindedly as he ate his omelet.
Safira bit her lip, wondering if perhaps he saw through her lie. But Damien didn't say anything.
"Thank you for saving me, Alpha Damien. I don't want to cause you any more trouble than I already have. I'll leave as soon as possible. I'll repay you…"
"How are you going to repay me if you leave?" He asked as he looked up at her.
Safira looked at him in surprise, "But I'm a rogue, I can't…"
"Then stay, join Obsidian Howl," he said as he placed his hand on hers.
It took them both a moment to realize what Damien had done, but he didn't move his hand. The look in his eyes was genuine. He meant what he said.
"Join your pack? I…" Safira curled her hand into a fist, uncertain if she could.
She regretted lying to him, but she wasn't ready to tell him the truth of the matter either.
"I'm not worthy," she confessed in a whisper.
She was the cursed wolfless orphan back in her pack. Apart from her father Greyson, no one else cared much for her. Most of them avoided her like the plague, others bullied her because they saw her as a weakling.
"Who told you you're not worthy?" Damien scoffed. There was a look in his eyes, as if he felt unjust on her behalf. "In Obsidian Howl, we believe every wolf has their place and their worth. If you're worried, you can prove your worth."
"Prove my worth?"
"Do you have an area of expertise? Anything you're good at?"
Safira pondered for a while. She had always wanted to prove herself in her pack. She didn't want to be a servant, so she worked hard to train alongside her father. That was how she got stronger. While others refused to admit it, despite her lack of a wolf, she was stronger than some who did.
"I fight well enough," she said with a little bit of pride in her heart.
She knew her skills were likely nothing compared to the warriors of Obsidian howl and less so in Damien's eyes, but it was her best shot. It was what she was best at.
"Interesting," he commented before continuing, "We don't have many female warriors, so you would make a great addition."
Safira chuckled.
"What's so funny?" He mused.
"You make it sound like I'm bound to win."
"That's because I believe in you," he said with a smile.
Safira looked up at him with a look of confusion. He hadn't even seen her fight before, how would he know?
"Believe in me? But you've never even seen me in action."
Damien glanced up at her with a smile of his own, "It's a gut feeling, and usually, it's pretty accurate."
"Most of the time?"
"All of the time."