Page 28

"Let go of me! I didn't do anything wrong!"

I look up from the patrol schedules I've been trying to revise, and mostly just staring at blankly, to find Thomas dragging a struggling teenager into my office.

Liam Bennett—seventeen, gangly, with the perpetually startled expression of a young wolf still growing into his strength.

Thomas has him by the scruff of his neck like an errant pup.

"What the hell is this?" I demand, rising from my chair.

Thomas shoves Liam into one of the chairs opposite my desk. "Tell him what you were doing at the eastern perimeter," he growls.

Liam's face drains of color. He stares at his hands, shoulders hunched defensively.

"Thomas," I say with forced calm. "Explain."

"Found him sending signals across the boundary line. Flashlight patterns." Thomas tosses a small tactical flashlight onto my desk. "When I approached, he tried to run."

This doesn't make sense. The Bennetts are a loyal family, have been for generations. Liam himself is one of our most promising young trainees.

"Liam," I keep my voice level despite the alarm bells ringing in my head. "Is this true?"

He doesn't answer, but his rapid breathing and the scent of fear rolling off him in waves tells me enough. Thomas isn't lying.

"Look at me," I command, not using ‘Alpha voice’ yet, but close.

Liam raises his eyes reluctantly. They're red-rimmed and terrified.

"Whatever's happening, we can fix it," I say, a tad gentler. "But I need the truth. Now."

The boy's composure crumbles.

"They have Abby," he chokes out. "They showed me pictures of her in her dorm room. Said they'd kill her if I didn't help them."

Thomas curses under his breath. I understand the sentiment—a fraction less control, and I‘d be cursing myself. Abigail Bennett, Liam's older sister, away at college on a scholarship, one of the few younger pack members we’ve allowed to study outside our territory unaccompanied.

"Who?" I ask, though I already know the answer.

"They didn't say their pack name. But their eyes..." Liam shudders. "They were wrong. Red, but not normal shifter red. And they smelled like something burning."

Cheslem. I exchange a glance with Thomas.

"What did they want you to tell them?" I ask.

"Patrol schedules. Guard rotations." Liam's voice grows smaller with each admission. "The locations of the old ward markers. And...information about her. The witch."

My wolf surges forward at the mention of Luna, a growl building in my chest that I barely suppress. I take a slow breath, forcing rational thought past protective instinct. "When did they first contact you?"

"More than a month ago. Just after she arrived for the lottery.

" Liam seems to shrink further into the chair.

"I was running on the outer trail. They stopped me just inside the boundary.

Showed me a live video of Abby sleeping.

Her roommate's stuffed bear was on the bed, the one with the university logo.

They knew her name, her major. They knew everything about her. "

I nod, processing. This isn't a simple case of betrayal. The boy was cornered, manipulated through his sister. My anger shifts from Liam to the Cheslem wolves who would use a child this way.

"I'm sorry," Liam whispers, a tear tracking down his cheek. "I didn't want to. But Abby—"

"You should have come to me immediately," I say, firm but not harsh.

"They said they were watching. That they'd know if I told anyone." His hands twist in his lap. "I didn't know what to do."

I consider our options, already forming a plan. "What's done is done. Now we use this."

Thomas raises an eyebrow. "You're not punishing him?"

"He'll face consequences," I clarify. "But not for protecting his sister. Liam, listen carefully."

The boy straightens slightly, hope flickering across his face.

"You’re going to stop communicating with them,” I say firmly.

“You’re going to stay in the pack building.

We’ll keep you safe. We’ll send some wolves out to make sure Abigail is safe, too.

And once things have calmed down, we can talk about what comes next—maybe some volunteering for the pack when things are safe. ”

"You’re not gonna hurt me?" Liam asks, voice cracking.

"I want to protect your sister and this pack. That includes you." I turn to Thomas. "Contact our allies near Abby's university. I want a protection detail on her within twelve hours, operating covertly. The Cheslem Pack can't know we're aware of their leverage."

Thomas nods, already pulling out his phone.

"What about me?" Liam asks quietly.

"You'll be under watch until the threat has passed. Not as punishment, but for your safety." I lean forward. "You were brave. Stupid, but brave.”

The kid nods slowly, relief washing over his features.

After Thomas escorts Liam out with detailed instructions, I sink back into my chair, a headache building behind my eyes. Another layer of complication in an already precarious situation.

Luna. The threat always circles back to her.

Midnight finds me still at my desk, reports blurring before my tired eyes. The Cheslem Pack's interest in Luna suggests they know about her connection to the boundary wards. If they've targeted Liam for information, others might be compromised, too.

My wolf paces restlessly beneath my skin, urging me to check on her, to see for myself that she's safe. I've been trying to give her space since the trial—her avoidance afterward made it clear she needed distance. But with this new development...

Before I can reconsider, I'm already walking toward the guest wing where she's staying. The quiet corridors of the pack house echo with my footsteps. Two guards nod respectfully as I pass the main security checkpoint, neither commenting on my late-night wanderings.

Outside her door, I hesitate. It's late. This could wait until morning. Should wait.

I knock anyway, three short raps.

After a long moment, the door opens just enough for Luna to peer out.

Her hair is loose around her shoulders, and she's wearing a faded Harbor Springs University t-shirt that hangs to mid-thigh. For a moment, she’s unguarded—nothing more or less than her beautiful, unyielding self. The sight makes me lightheaded.

Then, the wall comes up. I can almost see it happening behind her eyes, the shuttering of something inside her.

"Alpha," Luna says, her voice carefully neutral. "Is something wrong?"

"We need to talk," I reply, suddenly aware that I haven't prepared what to say. "There have been developments."

She doesn't open the door wider. "Can it wait until morning?"

"It's about the Cheslem Pack. They're gathering information about you specifically."

That gets her attention. She sighs and opens the door a few more inches, though still blocking the entrance. "What kind of information?"

I hesitate, noting the shadows under her eyes, the slight pallor to her skin. Has she been sleeping at all? And there's that change in her scent again, stronger now in the confines of the doorway. Something rich and vital underlying the familiar lavender and sage.

"They're likely asking about your role here. Your connection to the wards." I keep my voice low, aware of how sound travels in the pack house. "Luna, they're targeting people with connections outside our territory, using their loved ones as leverage."

Her eyes widen slightly. "Is everyone alright?"

"For now. We're handling it." I find myself leaning closer, drawn by her scent, by the concern in her eyes. "But I'm worried about you. After the display in the clearing..."

"I couldn't let that child be hurt," she says defensively.

"I know." A hint of pride colors my voice. "It was impressive."

She looks away, uncomfortable with the praise. "Was that all you needed to tell me?"

No. There's so much more. About the mating ceremony approaching too quickly. About the complicated tangle of duty and desire that tightens in my chest whenever I see her. About the irrational fear that grips me when I think of her facing the same threat that killed her parents.

"The mating ceremony," I say instead. "We should discuss what happens after."

"After we're magically bound together for political convenience, you mean?" Her tone sharpens. "What's to discuss? I fulfill my obligation, strengthen the wards, play my part in this little pack drama."

"It's not just politics," I counter, stepping closer without thinking. "You know that."

The air between us changes, thickens with tension. Her pupils dilate slightly, and I catch the uptick in her pulse—a reaction she can't hide from my enhanced senses.

"Do I?" she challenges, but doesn't step back. "Five years ago, you made your choice very clear. Pack before me. Always."

"Things are different now."

"Yes," she agrees, a strange sadness crossing her features. "They are."

We stand suspended in the moment, neither advancing nor retreating. Close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from her skin, see the faint freckles across her nose that appear in summer. My wolf whines, urging me to close the remaining distance.

Her eyes drop briefly to my lips before she seems to catch herself. With visible effort, she steps back, widening the gap between us.

"Goodnight, Alpha," she says softly, but firmly.

"Luna—"

"We can talk in the morning." Her hand tightens on the door. "Please."

I nod, respecting her boundaries even as my wolf rebels against the dismissal. "Lock your door," I say as I step back. "And Luna? Be careful."

A ghost of a smile touches her lips. "Always am. You taught me that, Nic.”

The door closes with a soft click, followed by the sound of the lock turning. I stand there longer than I should, listening to her quiet movements on the other side, before forcing myself to walk away.

Three more days until the mating ceremony. Three days to prepare for whatever the Cheslem Pack is planning. Three days to figure out what's changed about Luna's scent, what she's hiding behind those guarded eyes.

Not nearly enough time for any of it.