Chapter 71 Chapter 71
Kaius
I stood at the edge of the practice yard, my arms crossed watching the training exercise I organized for the morning patrol teams.
Twenty wolves worked through formation drills, moving as units, responding to commands, and learning to work as a team to cover each other’s weak points.
It was a routine exercise.
Except Tiana was here, which made it feel different.
She stood on the opposite side of the yard, observing the omega warriors she requested be included in patrol training. She had brought the idea forward at our last meeting with the council.
Her concern was that the omegas needed the combat skills necessary to defend themselves and contribute to pack security.
Most of the elders had dismissed it but Uncle had approved it without discussion, and here we were.
I watched her move between the wolves, offering corrections and encouragement.
In all honesty, the way she carried herself was commendable, as if she had completely fit into the role. A smile came to my lips as I recalled our very first meeting.
“Spread your stance wider,” she told a young omega who was struggling with defensive positioning. “You need a stable base or the first hit will knock you down.”
The omega adjusted, and Tiana nodded in approval.
When had I started noticing things like that? The way she smiled when someone got something right. How she never talked down to the lower-ranking wolves, always speaking to them like equals.
I forced my attention back to my own team, calling out adjustments to their formation. But my gaze kept drifting across the yard.
“Well, this is certainly interesting.”
Margaret’s voice cut through my thoughts. I turned to find her approaching, her expression perfectly pleasant as she surveyed the training yard.
“What is?” I asked, though I already knew.
“This.” She gestured vaguely at the omega wolves. “Training omegas for patrol duty. It seems like a waste of resources, doesn’t it? They’re not built for combat.”
The casual dismissal in her tone made my chest tighten.
“They’re pack members,” I said evenly. “They deserve the same opportunity to contribute.”
“Do they?” Margaret tilted her head, her smile never wavering. “Or are we just creating liabilities? Wolves who’ll need protecting instead of doing the protecting?”
Across the yard, I saw Tiana’s head turn. She had heard.
“Actually,” Tiana said, moving toward us, “the omega warriors have shown remarkable improvement. Their completion rate on the training modules is higher than the beta class from last quarter.”
Margaret’s smile tightened slightly. “Completion rate isn’t the same as combat effectiveness.”
“True.” Tiana’s voice stayed calm. “But their sparring scores tell the same story. They’re adapting quickly, learning to use their natural advantages to compensate for what they lack in raw strength.”
She pulled a folded paper from her pocket, holding it out. “The statistics are all here if you would like to review them.”
Margaret didn’t take the paper. Her eyes just glanced over it like it was distasteful.
“I’m sure the numbers are impressive on paper,” she said cloyingly. “But we both know real combat is different. These wolves will panic when actual danger comes.”
“Will they?” Tiana’s posture straightened. “Because three of them helped defend the eastern border last month when rogues tested our perimeter. According to the patrol report, they performed admirably.”
Margaret’s smile was starting to look strained. “Well. Perhaps there are exceptions.”
“Perhaps there are more exceptions than you think.” Tiana folded the paper back into her pocket. “Either way, Alpha Zane approved the training program. So we’ll continue.”
I noticed Margaret’s lips fall suddenly then she forced a chuckle.
“Of course. I didn’t mean to question the Alpha’s judgment.”
She turned to me, linking her arm through mine. “I should let you get back to training. I know how seriously you take your responsibilities.”
Tiana had already turned away, moving back to the omegas. She said something that made one of them laugh, the sound carrying across the yard.
I watched her—couldn’t seem to stop watching her—and something clicked into place in my mind. Something I had been avoiding acknowledging for weeks now.
She was everything Margaret was not.
Margaret only cared about status and connections.
The contrast was stark and uncomfortable.
“You’re staring,” Margaret said quietly beside me.
I blinked, pulling my attention back to her. “What?”
“At the Luna. You’re staring at her.”
“I was observing the training,” I replied.
Her expression stayed pleasant, but her grip on my arm tightened slightly. “Of course. That’s all it is.”
The training continued for another hour. I ran the teams through increasingly complex scenarios, testing their ability to adapt under pressure.
Tiana’s omega wolves held their own not perfectly but they kept getting back up.
And Tiana stayed with them the entire time. Correcting and never letting them give up on themselves.
Those moments took me back to the time at camp. The way Tiana solved that patrol route problem with clean logic and tactical thinking. Then to the little conversation we had by that stream.
The realization settled in my chest.
I didn’t want this union.
But more dangerous than that—more terrifying and completely forbidden—
I wanted what the Alpha had.
The thought made my hands clench into fists.
I had no right to even think it.
But I was, for weeks without letting myself acknowledge it fully.
“Alright,” I called out. “That’s enough for today.”
The omega team clustered around Tiana, talking excitedly about their performance.
She smiled at something one of them said, and my chest tightened watching it.
This was so fucked.
“Luna Tiana,” I called before I could stop myself.
She looked up, excusing herself from her group and walking over.
“Good work today. Your team performed well.”
“They’re dedicated,” she replied. “Just needed someone to give them a chance.”
“Thank you for coordinating with me on this,” she added.
“It’s my job,” I managed.
She smiled, that genuine warmth in her eyes, and left to join her team.
I watched her go, knowing I was in dangerous territory.
“Kaius.” Margaret’s voice was sharp now, all pretense of sweetness gone.
I turned to find her standing a few feet away, her arms crossed and her expression cold.
“Why do you spend so much time with the servant Luna?”
The question caught me off guard. “What?”
“You heard me.” She moved closer. “You look for excuses to be around her.”
I frowned, “Should we not be more concerned that you referred to her as the servant Luna?”
“Is she not?”
When I did not answer, Margaret laughed. “It’s obvious that you think I’m stupid.”
“I’m going to be your wife, Kaius.” She added. “We’re bonding in two months. So whatever this is—” She gestured toward where Tiana had disappeared. “—end it. Start acting like you remember who you belong to.”
She turned and walked away before I could respond, her spine rigid with anger.
I stood alone in the practice yard, the afternoon sun beating down, my mind racing.
If Margaret had noticed even with nothing visible how I feel about Tiana, who else had?