Melissa.
I was still standing there, frozen in place, my mind struggling to catch up with reality, when it finally settled, he was the one standing in front of me. The random Alpha. The one who had stepped forward so confidently at the gathering. The one who had just saved my life.
Alpha Daniel.
The shock clung to me, heavy and suffocating, my heart still pounding erratically from everything that had just happened. My throat burned faintly, my chest rising and falling as I fought to steady my breathing. I could still feel the phantom pressure of Vanessa's hand around my neck, the echo of fear lingering beneath my skin.
"There is no need to thank me," he said gently, his voice pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. It was calm, unexpectedly so. Warm. "I couldn't see a damsel in distress and not step in."
