CHAPTER 258: CHAPTER 258 - THE SECRET IS OUT, BUT THE PUNISHMENT...

Pacing the narrow space between the shelves and the bed - on the complete other side this time, because the pretty face that I reached toward a bit ago when she softly whimpered in her sleep? Even from this distance was... distracting.

Squatting to the floor and forcing myself to really quit thinking about why I’m doing this, I untied my shoes. Kicking off the sneakers and climbing onto MY bed should not be so heartpounding!?

The only remedy as I sat frozen halfway leaning onto it was choosing to position myself backwards - feet toward the head of the bed where Kyrie’s head rested on the pillow. This way I can’t just stare at her face. As easily.

And when she wakes up, she’ll see my feet first instead of catching me watching her. Probably safer for us both.

My wolf huffed with annoyance over my *solution*. The wolf seemed to find my avoidance tactics frustrating rather than sensible. But if it just learned to stop prodding me in a direction, I’d probably be doing what it wants anyway.

"Same with the system... does no one get me by now?"

My phone buzzed with a message, providing the perfect distraction from both the Alpha snoozing a handspan away... and my wolf’s unveiled judgments. Anise had finally gotten back to me on my message I sent a half hour ago.

C: [Rain check on celebration planning. Something came up.]

A: [Oh ho~? Then I hope the private celebration is going wonderfully! Do all the things I wouldn’t do...]

I stared at the screen, my face heating up. How did she always manage to be so... accurate in her assumptions? While being completely wrong about my intentions?

This is absolutely not a celebration of anything! Stop laughing!

Before I could craft a surly response that would probably make things worse, another message saved me from over explaining her to death.

BK: [Saw the new photos. Seems like the boss is getting some much-needed rest. I’ll handle any urgent business that comes up so she doesn’t need to be disturbed.]

BK: [If really needed, I’ll message you to get her up. Thanks for *whatever* you did to get her down - she seemed stressed today.]

My eyebrows shot up. Claire had seen... the photos? That I took just a little while ago?

I knew that she apparently saw texts before and had access to my contacts. I was also worried about her listening in to the calls. But...

Huh. Since... when? I remember her contact entry appearing around the time I obtained the container... which was some time before I went out to gather the caches and...

Looking over at the stone I’d just been sitting on, I recall my photo taking session with it. Blinked a few times and *felt* myself pale. If her assistant has all those, then-

C: [What photos... do you mean exactly?]

BK: [The ones from your device back up automatically, you know. Standard practice on that special model, since it was made for hunters to take on their outings for the council.]

BK: [So I guess you really didn’t know it backs up to our servers in this region. Everything uploads to encrypted storage automatically. I thought you probably didn’t know... but I’ve been scared to tell you.]

I must have been just staring at the device for a while, feeling somewhat mortified and lost. I consider myself ignorant because it’s not like human technology in this world is my strong point.

That means all those pictures had been available for Kyrie to look through all this time, right?

Looking over at her sleeping peacefully, I get a big urge to just kick her in the stomach. I’m not really sure why, after what happened in the forest. I’ve seen her in far more compromising ways.

But that was then, and this was *then*. Maybe because of good service you do not execute your military commander for certain crimes committed before their merits were achieved. But you do not just ignore them, either, unless you want corruption to spread.

C: [Scared... because you know your boss did something I wouldn’t forgive so easily?]

BK: [No. She did nothing wrong. I’d swear to that in person if you need me to.]

Well, of course you would. If I were in Ms. Voss’s place, I would also threaten you to do such a thing. Using whatever blackmail that motivated you most.

For instance, like a certain Beta that you are hung up on. Wouldn’t even have to do anything *especially* evil, just insinuate negligence while sending the werewolf on dangerous assignments.

BK: [I meant it when I say it is encrypted. That means it isn’t accessible except in *very* special circumstances.]

BK: [I just... well, I have a different clearance you could say? And I’m exceptionally nosy, so I look into anything and everything if I think it is strange.]

BK: [And a phone that I just wiped suddenly uploading a bunch of photos? It was strange.]

BK: [Once I saw, I kept looking - I admit. But she has never seen them. I swear.]

During the barrage, I switched things so that it would stop chiming and buzzing. But I’d needed a minute before I kept reading all of that. To calm down and think rationally.

Because I’m starting to plot and counter-plot for... probably no reason. I thought I’d stopped thinking of her as some mastermind out to trick me days ago. Yet, all it took was just a little information that I didn’t know before for me to spiral into worst case scenarios.

Just like the idea of her being tired when she hasn’t slept obviously meaning she must have some medical problem, right Citra? Narcissism paired with anxiety about the health of others... truly I am built to be a wonderful hypocrite.

Staring at the phone screen, I sigh and try to come up with how I want to respond. But I really don’t know how I feel. If I try to picture it as just Claire having access, it really doesn’t bother me.

It only made me upset when I thought Kyrie had seen them. And if I experiment even further, trying to picture if I cared about anyone seeing me without any cover for my ’shame’... well, clearly I don’t.

Beyond any bit of personal disconnect I may feel with this form, I was never bothered being dressed by servants in my old one. Once here, I had no qualms disrobing at the Spa. Nudity simply does not bother me - because my world did not hypersexualize it so much.

After all, a beast is technically always naked. Shifters like to act more human than humans when it comes to certain things, but at the end of the day... all of them are just animals that are not born with the clothes they cover themselves with.

Picking up the device, I see I’ve missed another set of texts. Each revealing more of how this bothered her - and her priorities.

BK: [I’m really sorry, so can you like... not hate me?]

BK: [Or hate me, but don’t take it out on her.]

BK: [And maybe also not tell her what I did? ]

BK: [If you do, perhaps a friendly heads up so I can flee or... well, I won’t get far.]

BK: [But I could try and go mount Luca right now and die while - you know what? I think that’s TMI.]

BK: [Yeah. It is. But I’m kind of freaking with you not responding.]

Shaking my head and rubbing my face, I decide that even if I was still upset... it is hard to stay mad at her. But I don’t think telling her that I forgive her or that there is nothing to forgive is a good idea.

This was still a significant breach of this world’s law and logic. So clearly I should do my best to get reparations!

However... what exactly could I ask for? Claire had already been helping me extensively as BoundaryKeeper. As the assistant to the CEO and Alpha of the Rimecoat laying in my bed like she belongs here - she was practically bound to continue that assistance.

A slow smile spread across my face as an idea began to form. Claire was useful, competent, and clearly a bit invested in the idea of a relationship between Kyrie and me.

More importantly, she was a most trusted assistant - the one who managed her schedule and knew her secrets. And now that valuable person had transgressed against me.

It’s the principle of the thing. Not demanding satisfaction is like waving your right to do so in the future. Even if I don’t actually mind what was done... a Princess does not simply overlook such matters.

I try to impress upon my wolf similar situations, but it seems to go over its head. No matter. The key point is that seeing what happened with that teenage werewolf has left me curious.

About testing the scan on a human. Would I be able to make them a pack member as well by the malleable logic of the Apocalypse System?