Page 30 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess

He doesn’t need to know, and he would probably beat me unconscious during our next training if he knew I wanted to hire Zoé.

She isn’t the only one I chose, though. I hired her as a team member, together with a former classmate. Like all my classmates, I pretty much don’t want to ever see him again. Gustave wasn’t my main tormentor or bully, but he was definitely one of them… at best, he was a bystander.

As an alpha’s son, I should have never been subjected to any bullying, but I was never the strongest fighter. That, paired with my hearing impairment, left me as an easy victim. I was strong enough for them not to actually harm me in a physical way, but they certainly tormented me in any other way.

Having Gustave here in my team is nothing I look forward to, but unfortunately, he is incredibly smart. I remember him having a particularly good eye for detail and excellentorganizational skills. He is also good at math and IT, which is why I hope he will complement Zoé well.

We need to save these poor victims. There is no room for my personal agenda.

“Thank you for the opportunity,” Gustave mutters nervously, while he walks behind Zoé and me.

“Well, I am glad you and Zoé agreed on such short notice,” I say.

Zoé smiles happily. “Well, you know how much of a dream this is for me,” she says, her cheeks flushing a bit as she eyes me shyly.

“I immediately canceled my trip with my parents,” Gustave admits. “They understood and were happy for me.”

I lead them to the office Eric had prepared for me. It’s supposed to bemine, which I still can’t quite believe.

“Wow,” Zoé says. “You even have your own office.”

“It’s very recent,” I say while opening the door for her. Leila and Beta Emilien are already waiting for us. Later today, Eric’s cousin will arrive. She will join us, eventually, but I doubt she will do so immediately. Hopefully, she won’t slow us down. I don’t know her, and I’m sure she is a nice person as both Eric and Valerie really seem to like her, but we don’t need a princess here to work with us.

Zoé steps inside, and Leila instantly gestures for her to come closer, introducing herself and Emilien. When Gustave walks past me, he gazes at me. “Arden,” he mutters.

“Don’t,” I tell him.

“But—”

“I asked for your help because I know you are capable. There are people out there who really need all the help they can get,” I tell him. “Otherwise, I would have never done it.”

“I wanted to apologize,” he says quietly.

I tilt my head, frowning. “I’m not sure if I want to hear it,” I say honestly.

Back in school he would have cracked a joke now about me using the wordhear.

If it weren’t for our little taskforce, I would have never even talked to this guy willingly. I wish I could say I’m the bigger person, but I’m not. I see no use for me or anyone to approach my bullies again.

Cato pops up a picture in my mind, showing him turning his back to our old schoolmate.

My thoughts exactly,I say.

“Are you two coming?” Leila calls from inside.

Gustave looks at me, as if he wants to say something, but then follows me inside my office. I introduce Leila and Beta Emilien. Eric shows up briefly just to greet the group and help me brief them. It’s his taskforce, after all, and he is the one reporting to the Council. He is very kind to Zoé, instantly easing her tension. He has this power over people. When I introduce Gustave, however, Eric looks at him curiously. “A former schoolmate of Arden?” he asks.

“Yes,” Gustave says.

“I see,” Eric says, flashing him a smile that sends chills down my back. Eric believes in the power of the smile, claiming a smile can work several ways, be welcoming and warm or show distance… or terrify people.

I’m starting to see that he is right. He is a true master of the art.

“I will leave it to Arden to brief you further,” he says to the group. “He is clearly the biggest genius in the room. No offense.”

“None taken.” Leila chuckles. “That’s hardly something we can argue with.”

“So, it’s true?” Zoé asks me, curiously. “I’ve heard some rumors within the lower-ranked wolves of our pack.”