THE ALPHA’S WIFE WALKED AWAY

The candles had burned halfway down by the time Kael finally walked through the door—and he wasn’t alone. Seraphina Vale, the woman he once thought he’d marry, glided in at his side, rainwater glinting off their coats. Kael’s eyes swept over the room: lit candles, untouched dinner, the cake I’d stayed up late decorating. “Happy anniversary, Elara,” he said. “You’re three hours late.” He nodded. “I know.” “And you brought her.” Seraphina let her hand fall away from his arm. “I’m sorry. I know tonight matters to you both.” “Then you know you shouldn’t be here.” Kael’s voice came quiet but sharp. “Elara.” That one word hurt more than if he’d raised his voice. Two servants stood by, avoiding my eyes but hanging on every word. I laid the knife down. “So, tell me: why is she here?” Kael answered, “Attacks on the eastern border are getting worse. Seraphina has information. She’ll stay here until we can verify it.” “Here?” “In the east wing,” he instructed the guard. “Two on her doors. She gets access to the security room.” The guard bowed. “It’s ready, Alpha. Prepared this afternoon.” I shot Kael a look. “This afternoon?” He kept his face straight, but the truth was in the tight line of his jaw. “So you set all this up before you even came home.” “It’s a security risk. I had to prepare.” “You set up a room for your old intended, gave her access to our security, and figured your wife didn’t need to know?” “Not every call waits for discussion.” “I’m not asking about patrol routes, Kael. I’m asking why I’m the only one here who didn’t know what was happening.” He turned to the staff. “Clear the table. Leave the cake.” His order hit like a slap. Servants gathered up the plates I’d spent hours preparing. One went for our two glasses. “Not those,” I said. She froze. Kael gave me a pleading look. “Elara, please.” “What? Pretend like this is fine?” His eyes darted toward the staff. “Privately.” “You already made your decision in front of everyone.” For a moment, I saw hesitance in his face, maybe even regret. But he only nodded to the guard. “Take Seraphina to the east wing. Security team is ready.” Seraphina left, but she caught my eye at the door—a quick look, all worry and maybe a little pity. Then she was gone. Once we were alone, Kael loosened his collar. “Two patrols are missing. Wards along the border are slipping in places they shouldn’t be. Seraphina has contacts. She might know how the attackers are getting in.” “Then ask her. Why give her access to the records?” “If she’s right, the people behind this are already inside our territory.” “You trust her?” “There’s a difference between trusting her and knowing she has answers we need.” Of course, it was careful—Kael always knew how to separate what he felt from what he did. That made him a strong Alpha. As a husband, sometimes he was plain impossible. “So why keep this from me?” I said. He ran a hand over his face. And for a split second, I saw the man beneath all the titles—the one who held vigil beside my bed the whole night, once, when a fever burned through me. “I’ve got three border reports, two missing patrols, and the council at my throat. I wanted to make one decision first.” “You mean you wanted it all squared away before I could object.” His gaze locked on mine. “I wanted to keep you out of danger.” “You can’t call it protection if you take my choice away.” He hesitated, then said, “I should have told you she was coming.” He paused. “But I would still have brought her.” It wasn’t much of an apology. Kael reached for my hand. The mating bond was there, warm and deep—the part of me that always wanted to answer his touch, no matter how much I tried to forget what my mind was starting to remember. I pulled my hand back. He flinched. This time, he didn’t hide it. “Don’t turn against me because of one night,” he said, his voice low. “One night?” I asked. “You set this up before you ever came home. You had time to tell me; you just chose not to.” A knock interrupted us. “Alpha,” his Beta called. “Security is ready. Clerk brought the covenant notice from council.” Kael froze. “What covenant?” I said. “Council business.” “Does it have anything to do with these attacks?” “I’ll explain when I can.” “You keep saying that, like you’re granting me a favor.” He just looked at me—long and hard. I could see he was torn, the man who loved me on one side, and the Alpha who believed he protected us by carrying it all alone on the other. Duty won. “I have to go.” “Of course you do.” He almost reached for me again. Then he stopped himself and left—without one glance at the cake. I waited for his footsteps to fade. I wasn’t about to give up on three years of marriage over one hard night. I still loved him, and I needed to know what had changed between us before I decided how much that love was worth. But I wouldn’t stay quiet and let everyone else make choices for me. The council notice was half-hidden under the leather folder Kael brought in, slipped out as he’d taken off his gloves. I picked it up. It wasn’t the covenant, just the registry receipt. The council seal, a reference number next to RESTRICTED: LUNA AUTHORITY. The entry listed two names: Kael Thorne and Seraphina Vale. The registration date? Six months after our wedding. Whatever this was, it had existed for months while Kael kissed me goodnight, stood beside me in council halls, let me believe the future was ours. The notice said where to find the original, either by me or any Luna affected by the terms. Underneath was a deadline: FORMAL REVIEW—SEVEN DAYS. I had seven days to find out what my husband signed. A soft knock at the door. Seraphina stood in the hall, alone. “You shouldn’t be wandering,” I said. She didn’t meet my eyes. “I came back because I heard the clerk delivered the notice. I wanted to see if Kael had told you.” “He hasn’t. What did he sign?” She looked down at the receipt. “A covenant giving me standing to challenge your authority as Luna, if the council declares a security emergency.” “Standing to challenge me? Why would he agree to that?” “Because I brought him information about the attacks. He said it was temporary, something the council could use if the pack was threatened. He promised me it wouldn’t be used against you.” “You expect me to believe you came here just to help?” “No.” Her mask slipped a little. “I expect you to believe I’m afraid of what the council wants to do with what I brought them.” “What did you give them?” “I don’t know the whole plan. But I know someone’s tampered with the ward records. And your family name is in the files they took.” “My family has no part in the border.” “That’s what Kael believed when he signed. Or what he wanted to believe.” She turned to go. “Why warn me?” I called out. “Because if the council uses that covenant, I become the official alternative to you. And if the wards fail, they’ll need someone to blame. I won’t be their weapon, Elara.” She paused. “Look at the second page of the registry. The clerk attached it by mistake.” I flipped over the receipt. There, folded and pressed under the seal, was a slim strip of paper. I unfolded it. At the top, a restricted archive reference. Below, in Kael’s handwriting, a note granting the council access to the sealed records of my mother’s death. I read it twice, but the facts didn’t change. Kael signed that authorization half a year after our wedding—three years before tonight. He knew the council was investigating my mother long before Seraphina ever showed up. At the bottom, he’d signed his name. Then, one more line: If Elara Voss displays the silver mark, do not inform her. Notify Lord Varrick immediately. My hand went ice cold. I’d never told Kael about the faint silver mark that appeared on my wrist, twice in the last month. I thought it was nothing, so I hid it. Someone was watching. And my husband made sure I’d never know.