Chapter 8

## Caius's POV

The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast shadows across Elara's sleeping form as I watched over her. Her breathing had steadied, though a slight flush still colored her cheeks. The fever from the ragweed poison had begun to subside, but she remained unconscious.

I found myself adjusting her blanket when it slipped, ensuring she stayed comfortable. My mind raced with the implications of what she'd mumbled before falling back asleep.

A Volana wolf.

If true, it would explain her extraordinary combat skills despite never having shifted. Volana wolves were rare, powerful beings—legends among our kind. The heterochromatic eyes she shared with her mother should have been my first clue.

She is our mate. Why do you still doubt her? Max growled within my mind.

"If she truly is our mate, rejecting her is the best option," I answered firmly. "It's better for her this way..."

My thoughts drifted to my mother, forced to remain in the dangerous Umbra Wastes. A place filled with rogues lacking stable leadership, where most were too afraid to return to the Sovereign Realms—my mother included. Though Alaric and a select few Alphas had taken responsibility for protecting the realms, my father's followers still lurked in the shadows.

The problem was that no one was as powerful as my father had been—except perhaps for me, his descendant. The burden of protecting this kingdom and those my father had harmed rested squarely on my shoulders.

Having a mate would only distract me from that mission. I recalled the innocent vulnerability in Elara's eyes after our kiss—confirmation that I couldn't afford emotional attachments. If she knew we were mates, it would only lead to disappointment. I would inevitably break her heart.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. Alpha Alaric entered, surprise registering on his face when he saw me still at Elara's bedside.

"Caius? I didn't expect you to still be here," he said, a doctor in white coat following behind him.

"This is the academy physician," Alaric explained. "He's just here to check on her. You don't need to stay. I appreciate you looking after her."

I hesitated, feeling Max's reluctance to leave. Truthfully, I was reluctant myself.

"Take good care of her, will you?" I finally said to the doctor.

"I'll do my best," he replied with a professional nod.

I moved toward the door, pausing briefly to look back at Elara's sleeping form. "She didn't deserve this," I said quietly to Alaric.

His expression hardened. "No, she didn't..."

Without further exchange, I left the room.

---

## Elara's POV

"Alpha Caius took care of me?" I asked, the information catching me completely off guard.

My father nodded, arranging the pillows behind me as I sat up in bed. "I came up to check on you and found him placing a cooling cloth on your forehead. You seemed much more comfortable."

"Where is he now?" I tried to keep my voice casual.

"He left when the doctor arrived," Father replied.

"Did you ask him to take care of me?"

Father shook his head. "I only asked him to guard the door, make sure no strangers entered. I didn't ask him to sit with you. That was his own decision."

Heat rose to my cheeks, and I was grateful my father wasn't looking directly at me. My reaction would have instantly given away my feelings.

As he prepared to leave, Father paused at the doorway, his back to me. "Caius is... different from most Alphas. He's young, but extraordinarily serious. He rarely socializes or allows himself to experience normal emotions. It's as if he's holding onto something he can't let go..."

He hesitated, gathering his thoughts. "My reason for wanting him to teach at Lunastride wasn't because he was best suited for the job, but because I thought being around others doing something he enjoys might be good for him. I thought he might have some fun while still working toward his future. He has his father's determination, but he is absolutely not Ulric. My goal is to ensure he never becomes like his father."

"You care about him," I observed.

Father turned to face me, nodding. "Ulric caused a lot of damage. I feel it's my responsibility to ensure his son takes the right path."

He left without another word, closing the door softly behind him.

Alone, I touched my fingertips to my lips, remembering the feel of Caius's mouth against mine. Though brief, it had been my first kiss. Not the perfect first kiss I'd imagined, and Caius certainly wasn't who I'd expected to share it with. I felt a pang of regret for the lost opportunity of a perfect first kiss.

I realized Caius wasn't someone who could love me the way my father loved my mother. As Father had said, he was an Alpha with grand ambitions, focused on his work above all else. He didn't allow himself normal emotions, closed off and self-protective. He didn't smile or seek enjoyment. He was intensely focused on his aspirations. While I respected that, I knew he would never open his heart to me, never love me the way I wanted to be loved, never be the mate I would consider.

A gentle knock interrupted my thoughts.

"Come in," I called.

The door cracked open slightly, revealing a head of golden hair, quickly followed by another with shorter blond locks. My fourteen-year-old twin siblings, Elowen and Lycas, peered in.

"Mom asked us to check on you and bring you this soup," Elowen said, carrying a bowl that smelled like my favorite chicken noodle soup.

"And I brought tea with just a bit of milk, the way you like it," Lycas added, carefully balancing a steaming mug.

I smiled gratefully at them. Lycas was training to be the next Alpha, while Elowen had always wanted to be a gamma warrior. She'd already begun training and was excelling. Before college, I often trained with her, and she learned quickly.

The twins climbed onto my bed, slipping under the covers beside me.

"Who do you think tried to poison you?" Elowen asked, her green eyes wide with concern.

"I'm not sure," I lied. "Whoever it was, I'm sure they've fled by now."

"I hope so..." Elowen murmured worriedly.

I wrapped my arms around them both.

"It would have been horrible if you died," Elowen declared.

That made me laugh.

"Yeah..." Lycas added seriously. "I'm glad you didn't die. If you had, I would have killed whoever did it..."

"I don't think I'd go that easily," I replied. "But let's be grateful it didn't come to that."

The door opened again, and my mother Rhiannon stood there, frowning at the twins.

"Didn't I tell you to bring the soup and tea, then let her rest? Not climb into her bed and disturb her," she scolded.

The twins groaned as they slid off the bed. "Sorry, Mom."

Despite her stern expression, I could see the humor in my mother's heterochromatic eyes. This time, she couldn't even suppress her smile as she watched them leave my room.

"Eat up and then rest," she instructed me.

"Yes, Mom."

---

Two days later, I had packed my belongings, ready to return to Lunastride Academy. I'd missed two days of classes and would need considerable time to catch up on everything. Fortunately, my roommate Audrey had collected my assignments and taken extra notes in our shared courses.

Though I enjoyed being with my family, I was eager to get back to the academy. I had everything ready to go, though I wasn't looking forward to the hour-long drive.

My father had informed me yesterday that I needed to be extra cautious upon returning to school, in case whoever poisoned me was still there. They had found no fingerprints, no witnesses, and no DNA evidence linking Jaxon and Isolde to the incident.

"I don't feel comfortable with you driving back alone," Father said as he entered my room. "Whoever tried to poison you might have tampered with your car. I want to take it apart and check it thoroughly before you drive it again."

"Then how am I getting back to school?" I asked.

"Alpha Caius is on his way. He'll drive you back."