CHAPTER 71

Lycus POV

I pushed the thought of Aneles aside as I made my way to Knox’s office. The moment I stepped in, he was already waiting, arms crossed, a grim expression on his face.

“Well?” I asked, leaning against the desk.

Knox let out a breath. “Nothing new. Our spies have been watching James, but there’s nothing suspicious about him. He does his beta duties, keeps to himself. No secret meetings, no unusual behavior.”

I frowned. That wasn’t right. If Damien was planning something, James would be involved. He was too loyal to be left out.

“Maybe he’s pretending,” Knox added. “Keeping a low profile so we don’t suspect anything.”

I nodded slowly. “That would make sense.”

Knox hesitated before continuing. “If we want answers, we’ll need an insider. Someone close enough to watch him without raising suspicion.”

I already knew where he was heading. My eyes narrowed. “What are you trying to say, Knox?”

He met my gaze. “Ariana could do it.”

“No.” The word was out before he could finish.

Knox sighed. “It’s not like she’ll be in any danger. She’ll just keep an eye on him, let us know if he starts acting strange or disappearing at odd hours.”

“I said no,” I repeated, my voice firm. “And that’s final.”

Knox studied me for a moment before nodding in reluctant acceptance. He knew when I’d made up my mind.

—

Later that night.

I sat in the study, a book open in front of me, though I hadn’t read a single word. My mind was elsewhere, tangled in thoughts I couldn’t seem to escape.

The screen of my laptop flickered as the call connected.

Ariana’s face appeared, her warm brown eyes lighting up when she saw me.

“Lycus,” she said softly, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I murmured, leaning back in my chair.

We talked for a while, the usual back and forth—how her day had gone, how things were at the pack. But then, she hesitated, tilting her head slightly.

“I meant to ask,” she said. “The last time we spoke, I heard a woman’s voice in the background. It wasn’t Sasha, was it?”

I smirked. “Jealous?”

She scoffed, but the way she avoided my gaze told me she was.

“You’re ridiculous,” she muttered.

I chuckled. “You have nothing to worry about. She’s a traveler. Got attacked by some rogues, so she’s staying here until she leaves.”

Ariana’s expression shifted slightly. “That’s funny.”

I raised a brow. “What is?”

“We have a traveler here too. But unlike yours, she’s been getting on my nerves.”

I smirked. “That bad?”

Ariana sighed. “She always acts like a victim. But there’s something off about her. Today, I—”

She stopped mid-sentence, her attention flickering to something—or someone—off-screen.

I frowned. “Ari?”

Before she could respond, a voice reached my ears.

“Alpha Lycus.”

I tensed. Aneles.

She stepped into the study without waiting for permission, her usual composed smile in place.

Ariana’s gaze sharpened. “Who was that?”

“It’s Aneles,” I said, exhaling slowly. “The woman whose voice you heard before.”

Ariana didn’t say anything, but I could tell she was paying close attention.

I turned to Aneles, motioning for her to come closer. “I was just about to introduce you to my love, Ariana.”

For some reason, Aneles hesitated. She didn’t meet my eyes—or the laptop screen. Instead, she kept her gaze slightly lowered, her body language oddly stiff.

“My apologies, Alpha,” she said quietly. “I wasn’t aware you were in the middle of something.”

She shifted slightly, and I noticed she still hadn’t looked at Ariana.

“And to you as well, Luna,” she added, though she kept her head tilted away from the screen.

Then, before I could say anything else, she turned and left the room without another word.

Ariana frowned. “What was that about?”

I leaned back in my chair, watching the door where Aneles had just disappeared.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

Ariana’s brows furrowed slightly. “I swear, for a second, her face almost looked familiar to someone I know… but I didn’t get a closer look since she wasn’t even facing the screen.”

I considered that for a moment, but then shrugged. “She was probably just embarrassed for interrupting.”

Ariana seemed to think about it for a second longer before shaking her head. “Maybe. Doesn’t matter.” Then, a teasing glint entered her eyes. “But what does matter is how you just called me your love. And Luna.”

A smirk tugged at my lips. “Well, it’s the truth.” My voice lowered slightly, turning serious. “I’ll take you out of that pack soon. Just wait.”

Ariana scoffed, crossing her arms. “Wait? Who said I’m waiting? I’ll come to you instead.”

I raised a brow. “Oh?”

“I’m not a damsel in distress, Lycus.” She grinned. “You should know that by now.”

A chuckle rumbled from my chest. “That, I do.”

The conversation drifted into more playful teasing, Ariana making sarcastic comments about me being too soft, and me countering by reminding her of the time she got flustered over a compliment. Eventually, though, as much as I didn’t want to end the call, we had to.

“Get some rest,” I murmured.

“You too,” she replied, her expression softening.

The call ended, and the screen went black. But even as I sat there in silence, a lingering warmth remained in my chest.

With a deep breath, I stood from my chair and stepped out of the study, my mind still lingering on my conversation with Ariana. But as I walked through the dimly lit corridor and out into the open air, movement in the garden caught my attention.

Anales.

She was standing among the flowers, her posture stiff. As soon as she saw me, her head dipped in apology. “Alpha Lycus,” she murmured. “I apologize again for earlier.”

I waved a hand dismissively. “It’s fine. But why didn’t you come forward?”

She hesitated, her hands clasped together. “It’s not my place,” she said softly, still refusing to meet my eyes.

Something about the way she spoke, the way her voice barely carried through the air, made me pause. Was that sadness? Or… jealousy?

I shook off the thought. It didn’t matter.

But then my gaze drifted downward, and my brow furrowed.

This morning, she had been using crutches. Now, she stood without them, not even a hint of struggle in her posture.

“How are you walking properly already?” I asked, my eyes narrowing slightly. “You were still using the crutches earlier.”

Anales lifted her gaze for the briefest moment before quickly looking away. “I… My legs healed quicker than I imagined.”

I studied her for a long moment, something unsettled stirring in the back of my mind. That wasn’t normal. Even werewolves took some time to recover from injuries that severe.

But before I could press further, she took a step back. “I should go inside,” she said quickly. “Thank you again for your kindness, Alpha.”

She turned to leave, but this time, I wasn’t so sure I could let the matter go.