Kael

I paced outside the infirmary like a caged beast. The corridor was quiet except for the hurried footsteps of healers moving in and out of the room where Selena had been taken.

Every time the door opened, the scent of wolfsbane drifted into the hallway and made my wolf growl viciously inside me.

I hated that scent. I hated what it meant. I hated that she was lying in there because I had failed to protect her.

For the hundredth time, I stopped pacing and stared at the closed door. There was no news yet from the healer.

It has been silent for a long while... The kind of silence that slowly drove a man insane.

My fists clenched as the image of that Velmorian Alpha plunging a blade into Selena’s body replayed in my mind over and over again.

The sound of my own scream followed it. The panic, the helplessness, and the too much blood she had lost.

A familiar presence approached from behind. "Alpha Kael."

I ignored Beta Bastien as my eyes remained fixed on the infirmary door. I was almost at the point of going crazy.

"Alpha Kael," he repeated more firmly.

"What?" I had almost yelled at him but had to refrain myself from asking a bit calmer.

His gaze swept across the corridor. Only then did I notice the servants gathered farther down the hallway.

The guards too, they were all watching, whispering and observing.

Beta Bastien lowered his voice. "They’ve been staring and watching you for a long time now."

I said nothing as he continued. "They’re wondering why their Alpha has been standing outside the infirmary for nearly an hour because of a servant girl."

My jaw tightened. "Let them wonder. I obviously don’t give a fuck about what they think."

"That is exactly what they are doing and this can’t continue, Alpha Kael. The people can’t find out she’s your mate or that she’s Alpha William’s daughter. You have to stop pacing and leave this place."

My wolf wanted to stay and was even ready to tear down the infirmary door and sit beside Selena until she woke up.

But Beta Bastien was right. The more attention I attracted, the greater the risk. And if anyone discovered who Selena truly was... Everything would definitely fall apart.

Not only for me but for her because her life would be exposed to more risks.

Slowly, I forced myself to step away from the door as every step felt wrong.

Beta Bastien studied me carefully before saying, "You look very terrible."

"I feel worse." I couldn’t help but pure it out. I’m not someone to let my emotions show but right now, I really can’t help it.

For a moment, neither of us spoke, then Beta Bastien asked quietly, "What do you plan to do with the two remaining Alpha sons?"

The question extinguished every other emotion inside me that only rage remained.

I turned and muttered the only word I could. "Find out for yourself." With this, I headed for the dungeon.

The two surviving assassins were chained to opposite walls with their clothes stained with blood and Bruises covered their faces.

Yet both of them still managed to smirk when I entered and I hated them instantly. I hated them because they were still breathing and still had the effrontery to smirk at me. All I wanted was to wipe that smirk out of their faces.

The first assassin Alpha laughed. "Your little prisoner is still alive?"

Something inside me snapped as I crossed the room in three strides and my fist slammed into his face.

A sickening crack echoed through the dungeon as Blood exploded from his nose.

The second assassin Alpha started laughing and I turned on him, pulled my dagger from its sheath and made a deep cut open across his shoulder.

His laughter stopped and it was replaced by a loud scream instead.

Good. I wanted him to scream and not laugh like a maniac.

For several minutes, the dungeon echoed with impacts, growls, curses and pain as neither of the assassin Alphas was left untouched. I made sure to deal with both of them equally.

Then Beta Bastien grabbed my arm. "Enough, Alpha Kael."

I jerked his hand away from mine. "They stabbed her! They broke into my castle! They deserve worse than whatever I’ve done to them."

Beta Bastien stepped closer. "If you kill them, we lose our chance to learn anything."

I glared at him without saying anything.

"And if we execute the sons of three powerful Velmorian Alphas, we might find ourselves in the middle of a war."

I barked out a humorless laugh. "A war?" My eyes shifted toward the prisoners. "They already started one when they sent their sons into my castle as assassinators."

Neither of the assassins responded.

I finally forced myself to calm down while breathing slowly and trying to think.

I crouched in front of the first Alpha. "Tell me something, How did you know she was here?"

"You attacked my castle and you failed because I hid her identity quite well."

My patience evaporated and I grabbed his jaw. "How did you know she’s here?"

The Alpha merely smiled and that smile made me want to rip his throat out.

Before I could do something reckless, Beta Bastien spoke. "The scout."

I looked over. "What scout?"

"The one that returned from Nightbane." He said and for a second, I forgot what he was talking about.

Then I remembered the spy I had sent weeks ago and Beta Bastien had also informed me at my office earlier before the chaos.

Beta Bastien continued. "I informed you earlier that he arrived not long ago."

I stood up and said, "You should handle it."

Beta Bastien frowned. "Handle what?"

"The scout." I said and turned back toward the prisoners.

I wasn’t finished with them. I’m not even close to being finished.

Hours later, they finally broke. The torture had stripped away most of their arrogance.

The first Alpha hung limply in his chains while The second could barely keep his eyes open.

I stood before them as they were covered in blood, looking exhausted and dangerously angry.

"Talk." I demanded again because I needed to know the truth.

The first Alpha laughed weakly. "You really want to know?"

I didn’t say anything as I waited for him to continue.

"It was her! Your little princess."

My stomach tightens as I try to understand what he means.

The second Alpha chuckled painfully. "She came to us on her own free will."

The first Alpha smiled and said again, "She’s a curious little thing."

Memories surfaced instantly with Selena sneaking around, ignoring instructions, asking questions and Investigating things herself.

The first Alpha continued. "Our fathers showed us paintings of her and we knew exactly what she looked like."

The second Alpha nodded. "When she visited our cell, we recognized her almost immediately."

Damn it! "Then what?" I almost screamed.

"We patiently waited trying to search for her by moving through the servant quarters. We checked room after room."

Their smiles widened. "And eventually found her."

I closed my eyes briefly. Of course she would do that. Of course she would walk directly into danger because she wanted to know everything!

The first Alpha laughed. "Your little princess prisoner doesn’t respect your boundaries."

I nearly lunged for him but a voice interrupted me. "Alpha Kael." Beta Bastien called and I turned to discover he had returned.

Apparently finished dealing with the scout.

"What is it?" I asked with a deep frown plastered on my face.

Beta Bastien stepped forward. "The scout said—" His voice faded as something suddenly felt very wrong.

I stared blankly at him with different thoughts running through my king.

My thoughts locked together then everything clicked. I had never told Beta Bastien about the mission.

The real scout had no reason to announce himself to castle guards due to my instructions to him.

No has no reason to announce himself to Beta Bastien, and definitely no reason for Beta Bastien to know he had arrived.

My eyes widened. "Beta Bastien."

He stopped speaking. "What Alpha?"

My wolf surged violently. "Where is he?" I demanded in a hurry.

"Who?"

"The scout!!!"

Beta Bastien frowned. "He’s in Chamberlain’s office." I was already moving out of the dungeon in a hurry.

I sprinted through the castle as different Guards jumped aside and servants flattened themselves against walls until the chamberlain’s office came into view.

I burst through the door and found it empty. The scout wasn’t there anymore.

Beta Bastien arrived seconds later and his expression darkened immediately. "He was here."

"He was never a scout. That’s not the scout I sent out!"

Then realization crossed Bastien’s face. "Damn."

I turned sharply. "The person you allowed inside this castle is an imposter."

Immediately, orders began flying as I pointed at nearby guards. "Double the security around the infirmary."

They ran off and I pointed at another group. "Quietly search every corridor, room and passage in this castle.No one leaves!"

They hurried away and within minutes, the castle was moving.

Beta Bastien returned after carrying out the first set of orders.

"What do you think his mission is?"

I folded my arms as several possibilities came to mind. "There are three possibilities that I can think of right now."

"What are they?" Beta Bastien asked.

"First, he came to confirm whether Selena is truly here. The second, he perhaps intends to kidnap her."That possibility alone made my wolf growl.

"And the third, " I looked toward the dark corridor ahead. "He came to steal pack secrets and carry them back to Alpha William."

Beta Bastien’s expression hardened.

Neither option was acceptable so I turned toward Beta Bastien.

"Either way, no one enters." My gaze swept over the castle. "And no one leaves until he is discovered."