That night, she slipped out of the sleeping quarters and walked silently through the compound. Past the mess hall, past the barracks, to the quiet office tucked away behind the training wing.
Kael's office.
It was locked. Naturally.
She picked it open in five seconds flat.
Inside, it was exactly what she expected from a militant Alpha; clean, sparse, and cold. But the file on his desk said everything she needed to know.
Lina — status under review. Cross-checking rogue activity. Suspicious behavioral patterns.
Her fake name on a pack report hit harder than she expected. She closed the file gently. And for a second… she hesitated.
Not because she was afraid of being caught.
But because she felt a flicker of something worse.
Guilt.
The next morning, Kael cornered her after training.
"You sleep walk?" he asked suddenly.
Selene blinked. "What?"
"You were seen near my office last night."
"Maybe they saw someone else."
Kael stepped closer. "You're the only one who walks that quietly. I've seen it. Heard it."
"I didn't go near your office."
A lie. But a clean one.
He stared at her, eyes narrowed, scent flaring as if trying to catch deceit. Selene didn't flinch.
"I've let you stay," Kael said finally. "I've trained you. Protected you. Even when my gut told me not to."
"I never asked for your protection."
"No," he said. "But the bond demands it. And it's driving me insane."
Selene looked away. "Then reject it."
"I can't."
"Try harder."
Kael laughed once, bitter and rough. "You think I haven't tried? Every time you smile. Every time you bleed. Every time you lie."
Selene's hands curled into fists.
This was the first time he'd said it aloud.
Not accused. Not guessed. Said it.
"You don't trust me," she whispered.
"I want to," he replied. "Gods, I want to. But you're hiding something. I feel it."
He stepped closer again, voice low and raw.
"Tell me the truth now, Lina, before it's too late."
And for a heartbeat, just one, she almost did.
But her mission was tattooed onto her bones.
So she turned away.
And Kael's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Then I'll find it myself."
That night, Selene didn't send an update.
But she did write a message she never sent.
He's getting close. Too close. I don't know how much longer I can hold this.
She stared at the words for a long time.
Then deleted them.
And sat in the dark, with the weight of her lies on her chest and the bond in her blood like a curse she never asked for.