The Alpha's Heir Forbidden Mate

Someone else knows

(Kiara)

The rest of the afternoon felt different after speaking with Evelina. Every room inside the pack house held memories I had never questioned until today. I wondered how my life might have looked if she had been allowed to keep her promise. I might have grown up in a home instead of serving one.

Maris gave me more work before sunset. She handed me a basket of folded blankets and told me to take them upstairs. I accepted the basket without arguing. Keeping my head down was easier than giving her another reason to watch me.

Nyra stayed quiet while I climbed the stairs. She was thinking about Evelina's words as much as I was. Neither of us liked knowing Lucan had chosen this life for us. It made every year inside Blackridge feel different.

I reached Aurelia's room first and knocked before entering. She was sitting by the window with a book resting in her lap. She smiled when she saw me carrying the blankets. The smile disappeared the moment she noticed my face.

"You're upset." Aurelia stood and walked over to me. "What happened?" She closed the door behind me.

"I'm fine." I placed the blankets on her bed. "It's been a long day." I hoped she would leave it there.

Aurelia folded her arms. "Don't do that." She looked straight at me. "You always tell everyone you're fine." She wasn't letting me escape this time.

I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. My head felt too full to keep pretending nothing had happened. Evelina had changed everything with one conversation. I wasn't sure how to carry that alone anymore.

"Lucan knows." I looked down at my hands. "Cassian told him we're mates." Saying it aloud made the room feel quieter.

Aurelia's eyes grew wide. She sat beside me without speaking for a moment. I could almost see the pieces falling into place in her mind. Suddenly, everything she'd noticed over the last few days made sense.

"You and Cassian?" she asked quietly. "You're really mates?" Her voice held surprise more than disbelief.

I nodded once. "We found out a few days ago." I kept my eyes on the floor. "We were trying to keep it secret."

Aurelia reached for my hand. "Kiara, I'm happy for you." Her smile returned for a moment. "I know how much my brother cares about you."

Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them. It wasn't because she was happy. It was because nobody had reacted with kindness since Lucan learned the truth. I hadn't realized how badly I needed someone to.

"Thank you." I squeezed her hand gently. "I thought everyone would tell me I wasn't good enough." My voice became softer.

Aurelia shook her head. "Not me." She didn't hesitate. "You're part of my family whether father admits it or not." Her words settled somewhere deep inside me.

Nyra became warm inside me. She liked Aurelia almost as much as I did. It reminded me that I wasn't completely alone in this house. That feeling had become rare.

"Father is furious, isn't he?" Aurelia asked. Her expression became serious again. "He spoke to Cassian after breakfast."

"He spoke to both of us." I told her about Lucan's questions regarding Silvercrest. I also told her how he threatened Cassian's future if we accepted the bond publicly.

Aurelia looked shocked. "He questioned you about Silvercrest?" She frowned. "Why now?" She seemed just as confused as I was.

"I don't know." I shook my head. "He wanted to know what I remembered about dad." Even saying it felt strange.

Aurelia stood and walked toward the window. She looked outside for several seconds before speaking again. I waited quietly. Something was bothering her.

"I've noticed something for years." Aurelia looked back at me. "Father always watches you differently than everyone else." She spoke slowly.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "He's always treated me badly." I didn't see what was different.

"It's more than that." Aurelia returned to the bed. "Whenever someone mentions Silvercrest or your family, he becomes tense." She looked worried now.

I remembered Cassian telling me Lysander had noticed the same thing. Hearing it from Aurelia made it harder to ignore. Two people had seen Lucan react before either of them knew the truth about the bond. That couldn't be a coincidence.

"Have you ever asked him why?" I asked. "Did he tell you anything?" I hoped she'd heard something I hadn't.

Aurelia shook her head. "No." She looked disappointed. "Whenever I asked questions about you, he told me to stay out of grown up matters."

That answer sounded exactly like Lucan. He ended conversations the moment anyone came too close to Silvercrest. He'd done it with Cassian, Lysander, and now me. I was beginning to believe he was hiding something much bigger than I imagined.

A knock sounded at the door. Both of us froze. Aurelia quickly stood while I picked up the empty basket. Maris's voice came from the hallway.

"Aurelia, are you inside?" Maris asked. "Your mother is looking for you."

"Coming." Aurelia answered without opening the door. She waited until Maris's footsteps faded before turning back to me.

"You need to be careful." Aurelia lowered her voice. "Maris has been watching you every chance she gets." Her concern was obvious.

"I know." I lifted the basket. "She already suspects something changed." That worried me almost as much as Lucan.

Aurelia stepped closer. "She won't hear it from me." She looked directly at me. "Your secret is safe with me."

I believed her. Aurelia had never given me a reason to doubt her, even when we were children. Trusting someone inside Blackridge felt dangerous, but she had earned it years ago.

"I should go." I moved toward the door. "Thank you for listening." I meant every word.

I left her room and walked back into the hallway. The pack house felt quieter than usual, but I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. When I looked over the railing, I found Lucan standing below.

His eyes met mine for only a second. Then he turned and walked away without saying a word. My heart sank because Aurelia had been right.

Lucan wasn't just angry about the bond.

He had been watching me all along.