Sixteen: A dangerous Lie
Ronald's POV
The Elder’s gaze lingered on Mara, too long for my liking, and I stepped forward before he could press further.
“She is a servant,” I said, voice sharp, my presence filling the space so no one would think to challenge it. “She is beneath your notice, Elder.”
His brows lifted, his nose twitching again, though he did not move closer. “Strange scent for a servant.”
“Strange how?” I asked flatly.
“Not common,” he said slowly, his eyes sliding from me to Mara, “not entirely human, not entirely tamed.”
I stepped between them, my body blocking his view. “You’re overreaching. If your task is to inspect the strength of Bloodfang, then focus on that. Do not waste time sniffing around servants who scrub floors and carry trays.”
His lips pressed together, and for a moment I thought he would push, but finally he nodded and turned away, calling for another warrior to demonstrate his shift.
I let out a slow breath, though inside my wolf was pacing, restless, because I knew this wasn’t over.
Mara stood stiff beside me, her hands clenched, eyes on the ground, as though the weight of that stare still burned into her skin.
“Move,” I muttered, pushing her forward with a hand at her back.
We made it through the rest of the inspection without further interruptions, but the Elder’s gaze returned once or twice, sharp, measuring, and it unsettled me more than I wanted to admit.
When the hall cleared and the auditors moved to another wing, Lucas came to my side, his expression grim.
“That was reckless,” he said lowly, so only I could hear. “You shielded her too openly.”
I turned on him, irritation spiking. “I dismissed her as nothing. What more do you want?”
He shook his head. “You drew attention the moment you stepped in. If she is exposed, Ronald, they will not only condemn her. They will brand you complicit.”
I didn’t answer, though the words cut sharp.
“Think carefully,” Lucas pressed. “The Council does not forgive alphas who shelter rogues or bloodlines they’ve outlawed. If she is what they suspect…” He didn’t finish, but the warning hung heavy.
I growled low, my wolf stirring. “I am not complicit in anything. She’s a servant, and I decide who stays in my territory. No Elder, no Council, will dictate how I run Bloodfang.”
Lucas exhaled, but his eyes stayed hard. “You’ve been distracted since she arrived. You guard her without reason. You put yourself in front of an Elder for her. That isn’t just authority, Ronald. That's a compromise.”
I glared at him. “Are you accusing me?”
“I’m reminding you,” he said evenly, “that if she is discovered and tied to something the Council despises, they will not question her first. They will question you.”
I didn’t reply. Instead I turned and walked away, leaving him there, because the truth of his words was one I couldn’t bear to give voice to.
Later that night I found myself standing outside her quarters, my wolf pushing me closer though my mind screamed against it. I should have ignored the pull.
I should have gone to my chambers. But the Elder’s words echoed in my skull, and Lucas’s warning gnawed at me, and I needed answers.
The door creaked open under my hand, and I saw her sitting on the floor, her back against the bedframe, her head tilted back as though she hadn’t expected anyone. She jumped when she saw me.
“Alpha,” she whispered, scrambling to her feet.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, my eyes locked on her.
“What were you doing today,” I asked, voice low, steady, “when the Elder stopped you?”
Her lips parted, confusion flashing. “I wasn’t doing anything..”
“Don’t lie.” I closed the distance, my wolf pushing at the edges of my control. “He smelled something on you. I saw it in his eyes. What was it.”
She looked away, her hands twisting together. “I don’t know.”
I caught her chin, forcing her eyes back to mine. “Don’t play games with me. You think I haven’t noticed? You move like no servant I’ve ever seen, you fight like you’ve trained for years, you hide strength that slips when you’re not careful. And now an Elder, with a nose sharper than most, looks at you like you’re prey he’s trying to name.”
Her breath hitched, her wolf stirring faintly beneath her skin, and I felt it through the bond like a faint electric snap.
“Tell me what you’re hiding,” I demanded, my grip firm on her chin. “Tell me before they tear it out of you.”
Her eyes flickered, pain and fear and defiance swirling all at once. “I’m not hiding anything that matters to you,” she whispered.
“Everything about you matters to me,” I growled before I could stop myself, the words raw, unfiltered, dragged from the part of me I refused to admit existed. My wolf pressed forward, demanding, restless.
She froze, staring up at me, her lips parting like she hadn’t expected me to say that.
I let go of her suddenly, stepping back, anger and confusion warring inside me.
“This is your last chance,” I said, voice hard again, covering the slip. “If I find out you’ve put my pack at risk, if I discover you’re tied to anything that would bring Bloodfang down, I will not protect you.”
Her voice shook, but her eyes held mine. “And if I’m not?”
I didn’t answer.
I turned and walked to the door, but before I stepped out I looked back once more, my wolf snarling at me to demand the truth, to keep her close, to not leave without answers.
“Think carefully, little wolf,” I said, my voice low and final. “Because the Council won’t ask twice.”
I left her standing there, her breathing uneven, her hands trembling at her sides, and I knew this lie, whatever it was, was a dangerous one.