Luna stood a few feet away, her arms loosely crossed over her chest, though every muscle in her body remained tense. Her eyes narrowed as she silently watched Nohlan kneel beside Ravhiel and help him back into his wheelchair with practiced ease.
Ravhiel looked awful. His clothes were rumpled, his skin streaked with dirt and bruises blotched across his pale complexion. His usually composed expression was gone—replaced by something quieter, more broken. Even his shoulders sagged, as if he were trying to make himself smaller.
Luna's jaw tightened.
She wanted to commend Nohlan—at least one of the five arrogant bastards was doing something decent—but the way Ravhiel looked at him…
Confusion. Hesitation.
Mistrust.
Ravhiel wasn't used to Nohlan helping him. In fact, judging by that look, this was probably the first time Nohlan had ever lifted a finger for him.
'So why is he doing it now?' Luna wondered, watching every gesture, every subtle shift in body language. 'What's his angle?'
She stepped forward slowly, playing her part, clutching her chest as if still shaken. Her voice wavered, soft and vulnerable.
"T-Thank you… for helping Ravhiel. I…" She dropped her gaze. "I was so confused…no one else was helping him."
Nohlan glanced up at her and smiled—a warm, disarming smile that seemed perfectly tailored to soothe. "It's no trouble at all," he said smoothly. "Honestly, I respect the chief a great deal, but the way he treats Ravhiel… I've always thought it was too harsh."
He glanced down at Ravhiel, still smiling. "Right, Ravhi?"
Ravhi.
The nickname Ravhiel had quietly shared with her earlier—personal, informal. Not the dismissive Silverweight everyone else seemed to spit like venom.
Ravhiel lifted his head slightly, offering Luna a small, polite smile. "Yes," he murmured.
Luna returned it with equal softness, but her thoughts were already racing.
However...
'Did he really think I wouldn't notice?' Her eyes dropped to Nohlan's foot and—
There it was.
His foot subtly pressing down on Ravhiel's.
It was discreet. Calculated. Someone less observant would've missed it entirely.
'Does he really think I don't see what he's doing?' Her eyes flicked back to Nohlan's face, perfectly composed. 'Either he thinks I'm stupid, or he thinks I'm too ignorant. Either way… he's trying too hard.'
But Luna didn't flinch. She kept her expression steady and allowed herself a shaky little smile.
Let him think he was winning.
She could play this game too.
"O-Oh… well, thank you. Uh… Nohlan, right?" she said, voice still delicate.
Nohlan's grin widened, pleased. He straightened and stepped toward her, extending a hand.
She hesitated. Both out of genuine discomfort—and to sell the performance.
Slowly, she reached out and took his hand.
It was rough, like sanded stone. But warm. A little too warm.
He gripped her hand firmly—possessively. "I'm Nohlan," he said proudly. "One of the five ruling Alphas in this pack. People call me the Diplomat."
'The diplomat?' Luna nearly rolled her eyes. 'Is that what we're calling manipulators now?'
From the corner of her eye, she noticed Ravhiel watching her again. His brows were drawn slightly together, concern pooling in his tired gaze.
'Really, you idiot. You're looking at me with concern? You're the one constantly being abused in this place.'
It was just like how Rose had looked at her before she left the wooden room.
She turned her attention back to Nohlan, carefully keeping her voice soft. "L-Luna… but you already knew that."
Nohlan chuckled, his eyes glinting with something that made her stomach twist.
"Of course," he said, still holding onto her hand. "The little lamb who made us run. You're really fast, you know that?"
Luna tried to pull back slightly, but his grip didn't loosen.
"Well… uh… fear factored in a lot," she replied with a sheepish laugh. 'Let go of my hand.'
Nohlan laughed, the sound smooth and rich. "Still," he said, giving her hand a light shake, "I can tell you're strong. Once you're settled in, if you'd like, I can train you. Considering the others are…" He tilted his head toward the path where Bastiel and Tyrnhael had walked off.
Luna saw it clearly now.
This was his move. His angle.
He was trying to get closer.
Positioning himself as the nice one. The safe one. A stark contrast to the others. Gaining her trust.
But Luna could feel it. The way his eyes lingered. The hunger buried beneath the diplomacy. The greed. The need.
'He's no different than Rhaevos. Just more subtle. More… polished.'
Her lips twitched into something that wasn't quite a smile. Then, without warning, she tightened her grip on his hand.
Hard.
Nohlan's eyes widened.
Luna didn't let go—not right away. She squeezed until she felt the bones in his knuckles shift uncomfortably beneath her fingers.
Only then did she release him.
Nohlan took a sudden step back, cradling his hand, staring at it in stunned disbelief.
"Oh wow," he said, laughing nervously. "You've got quite the grip."
Luna blinked innocently. "R-Really? I… I still don't have control of my strength. I'm so sorry."
Ravhiel was looking at her again. But this time, his expression had changed.
He knew.
Of course she had done it on purpose.
And she didn't regret it.
Not one bit.
At this point, Luna had accepted it—she was strong. She didn't know the full extent of it, or when to use it… but right now?
Right now, her strength was annoyance, simmering just beneath the surface—and Nohlan had been the perfect outlet to test it out.
Nohlan looked like he had more to say—something else lingering on the tip of his tongue—but before he could speak, Luna swiftly stepped in.
"Well... I think we have to go," she said, voice lowered and tight with tension. Her fingers curled around the edge of her tunic as she forced a smile. "Y-You seem busy, and we still have the tour..."
"Ah. Right. Of course," Nohlan replied, flashing a practiced smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Then, without warning, he reached toward her. Luna instinctively flinched.
'What the—'
Nohlan's fingers gently brushed a strand of her hair, stroking it between his fingertips as if it were precious silk. "Since you're destined to be with one of us," he murmured, voice low and almost intimate, "I hope you'll give me the chance to get to know you more... after the tour, Luna."
A chill ran down Luna's spine.
'Ugh... Don't touch me. Don't say my name like that.'
She shivered—but not in the way he clearly thought. The way his lips curled slightly, she could tell he took her discomfort as some kind of flattered reaction.
'He thinks I'm swooning. Disgusting.'
"O-Okay..." Luna mumbled, forcing her gaze down to avoid his eyes. Her voice came out dry and detached.
Nohlan gave a satisfied hum, like her meek response had been everything he hoped for. Then he turned to Ravhiel, his demeanor shifting again—this time openly venomous.
"Get better soon," he said, tone sharp and mocking, "and maybe get yourself checked. Your healing... it's almost human."
There was no more masking it. No subtle cruelty. Just open scorn.
'He's not even pretending anymore. Either he thinks I'm too stupid to notice... or he doesn't care.'
Ravhiel, ever calm, only nodded. "Of course, Nohlan. Thank you."
With that, Nohlan finally walked away—his footsteps echoing down the corridor, leaving behind a trail of unease. The oppressive weight of his presence lifted, but the silence he left behind was just as heavy.
Luna exhaled sharply, not realizing she'd been holding her breath.
Now, it was just the two of them.
Ravhiel turned toward her and bowed his head with solemn grace. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Luna."
His voice was gentle—almost too gentle—and filled with something quiet and complicated. Luna blinked, unsure how to respond at first. Her brows knitted together.
She didn't want to get involved. She didn't want to get closer.
'I just need to survive. That's it. Learn what I can and get out.'
But the words tumbled out anyway. That question she couldn't keep buried.
"Why... does everyone treat you so horribly?" she asked, voice soft but trembling. "Why do they call you Silverweight?"
A pause.
Her throat tightened as she added, barely above a whisper—
"And... you're the chief's biological son?"