CHAPTER 76: WHERE IS THE ALPHA

"I think it was an accident," I admitted.

Across the room, Rion didn’t move from his place against the wall.

I cleared my throat as I went on, "At the House of Ambrosia... after I went to the bathroom, I saw a servant with a tray. I was thirsty, so I just picked up a drink. He looked startled, alarmed, but before he could say anything, I had already walked away. I was too absentminded to pay attention."

For a moment, he said nothing. Then, the faintest smirk curved his lips. "So it was your foolishness, then."

My cheeks flamed. "How would I know that kind of thing is served in a pleasure house? I’ve never been a guest at one before."

"Mm, reasonable," he drawled, pushing lightly off the wall. "But you can’t expect the world to bend to your ignorance. That’s a dangerous habit, little wolf."

His head tilted, his eyes narrowing. "Why didn’t you shift when the dimwit assaulted you? You do have your wolf, don’t you?"

I met his gaze squarely, though my pulse raced. I wanted to lie, but I was too exhausted to even try.

"I do. But I can’t shift whenever I want to."

That got his full attention. His brows rose, his eyes gleaming with a sharp curiosity.

"Enlighten me."

The way he said it, low, coaxing, almost like a request, pulled the words from me before I could stop myself.

"Ever since I broke free from the wolfbind, something’s been wrong." I hugged my arms around myself, my damp clothes clinging uncomfortably. "Sometimes I feel my wolf’s power surge through me, allowing me to shift... but other times, it lies chained deep inside, even though she’s no longer bound by the wolfbind."

His expression didn’t change, barely readable.

"It’s what happened when the Arthien wolves came," I continued, my voice quieter now, almost ashamed. "She’s with me, and I can talk to her, but her power to shift is... I don’t know, it’s like suppressed." My throat tightened. "None of it makes sense."

For a heartbeat, I almost wanted him to say something cruel. To mock me for my weakness.

But instead, he stayed perfectly still. Watching.

It was only then I realized my body had started to tremble.

The water around me was icy, my lips numb, my teeth nearly chattering. I looked down and cursed inwardly. I was still sitting in the bath, fully clothed, waterlogged and freezing.

"I don’t think it’s... appropriate to talk right now," I muttered, trying to disguise my shivers.

That was when his mouth curved again, this time into a devil’s smile. "Why? Because your lips are blue? Or because you’re realizing I’ve seen more of you tonight than you’d like?"

Heat surged to my face despite the cold. "You—" I sputtered. "You’re insufferable."

"Mm." He took a step closer, just enough to make my pulse trip. "That’s what they all say."

I narrowed my eyes, glaring as best as my frozen body allowed. "Then leave. If you’re done interrogating me."

His chuckle was low, threaded with something darker. "Careful. You’re in no position to order me around."

He lingered for a breath longer, ocean gaze flicking down, just once, but enough to set every nerve in me alight. Then he stepped back.

"Fine," he said smoothly, as if indulging me. "I’ll let you preserve your modesty."

I couldn’t think of a single retort before he moved to the door. His hand rested on the handle, and for a heartbeat I thought he’d throw one last jab. Instead, he looked over his shoulder, eyes glinting in the dim light.

Whatever he saw in my face made his smirk deepen. Then he was gone, the door shutting softly behind him.

I sat there, shivering and furious, with relief tangled stubbornly with something else I didn’t want to name.

* * *

Days slipped by after that night.

Raye had kept me busy.

She continued showing me around the Undercity, flitting from one district to the next like a tour guide who refused to run out of energy. She was more cautious now, though, almost overly so.

She didn’t say it outright, but I had a strong suspicion Rion had spoken to her after what happened at the pleasure house. Told her to keep me out of trouble. Babysit me.

What use is a dead woman, anyway?

Raye had apologized more than once, convinced the incident had been her fault. To prove it, she even handed me a small box of jewelry one afternoon, pieces she admitted were some of her old and precious favorites. Delicate chains, earrings that sparkled faintly in the light, rings that seemed too fine for casual hands like mine.

"You didn’t have to," I told her.

She just grinned, bright as always. "I wanted to. Besides, I had too many of them. Jewelry should be worn, not hidden in a box."

That was when I realized Raye adored jewelry the way some adored books or wine. Her eyes lit up when she spoke about them, her hands dancing over each piece as if they carried stories only she could read.

On the fourth day since the please house incident, we sat together in one of the castle gardens, sharing a tray of spiced bread and fruit.

I hadn’t seen Rion once since that night.

The absence should have been a relief. And it was, in some ways. No smirks cutting through me, no mischievous eyes pinning me to my shame, no shadowed presence curling around me like a threat.

But after four days of silence, relief had started to sour into unease.

I nibbled on a piece of fruit, then asked Raye the question I’d been turning over for hours.

"Where is... uh, the Alpha?"

Raye glanced up from her cup of tea, brows lifting.

It felt odd to ask, but I couldn’t stop myself. I was glad not to see him for a few days, but four? Too long. I needed information. If I was bound by this bargain, then I needed to know more about these so-called keys, and the wards of the Undersea Tower. The earlier it was over, the sooner I’d be free.

"He’s been in the Sixth District," Raye said after a sip. "It’s in the south of Undercity. Just dealing with some pack affairs."