Kael

The window exploded inward as glass shattered across the infirmary like a storm of crystal knives.

My instincts took over before my mind could catch up as I lunged across the bed and threw myself over Selena.

A sharp sting ripped across my shoulder and back as fragments of glass buried themselves into my skin, but I barely felt it.

All I cared about was covering and protecting her.

Selena gasped beneath me. "Kael—" I immediately clamped a hand over her mouth making her eyes widened.

Not because I was hurting her. I just wanted her to understand that someone was here. Someone dangerous.

Across the room, Beta Bastien had already rolled behind a heavy shelf, his sword drawn out.

The room went too silent as my ears strained to listen to sounds .

I kept waiting, then I heard more fast and light footsteps moving across the roof above us.

I was very sure these were Assassins, not warriors or rogues.

My jaw tightened on remembering the councilman’s warnings. Councilman Cedric had been right about them plotting an attack on my pack.

Through our mindlink, I said to Beta Bastien. "Take her somewhere safe."

Beta Bastien’s voice came immediately through the mindlink. "Where do I take her?"

I didn’t answer at first because the truth was I wasn’t sure because the assassins had penetrated the castle and that should have been impossible.

I had doubled patrols. Increased guard rotations. Installed counter-watchers after the council warning and yet somehow they were here which meant nowhere obvious was safe.

Selena tried speaking again but I tightened my hand over her mouth and shook my head.

Her brows furrowed as I pointed toward the ceiling and toward the footsteps and Understanding flashed across her face.

Good! If the assassins were listening, hearing her voice would confirm everything. It would confirm that Alpha William’s missing daughter was inside Blackbourne.

I couldn’t let that happen.

"The backup armory," I finally mindlinked Beta Bastien.

"Take her to the Underground."

There was a pause then he asked. "You’re sure?"

"Just get Moving! There’s not much time." Beta Bastien nodded.

Without another word, he crossed the room and held on to Selena who immediately resisted. "No," she hissed the moment I released her mouth.

"Selena—"

"No! I’m not leaving you—"

"Go."

"I’m not helpless." She snapped into my face.

"I know you’re not helpless!"

"Then stop treating me like I am." She said through gritted teeth that I almost smiled despite the situation.

She’s such a stubborn woman who obviously doesn’t like taking no for an answer but Unfortunately for her, Beta Bastien was stronger.

He grabbed her wrist as she struggled against him, kicked, argued and threatened him but none of it worked.

A moment later he was able to drag her toward the exit and her glare at me promised murder as they disappeared through the doorway.

Only then did I allow myself a breath. As long as she stayed underground, she should be safe.

The footsteps continued above and I closed my eyes and listened carefully. I tried to get the count of how many they were as they kept moving independently and searching.

They weren’t heading toward a specific room. I could tell they were moving from chamber to chamber looking and hunting.

That meant they still hadn’t found what they came for. Which meant Selena’s location remained secret and safe for now.

I stepped into the hallway and chaos greeted me instantly. Servants ran in every direction, different maids were screaming while some guards were shouting out orders.

The entire floor looked moments away from descending into complete panic and the moment they saw me, Silence followed though not a complete silence.

Order returned as it always did. "Everyone stop!" My voice echoed through the corridor as immediately people froze to hear what I had to say.

"Some Guards should escort every servant and maid into the dungeons."

The captain nodded. "At once, Alpha Kael."

The dungeons weren’t so pleasant but they were more secure there and it’s better instead of being frightened to death here.

The evacuation began immediately then my gaze landed on one particular young dark haired maid who seems to be roughly Selena’s age or close enough.

I pointed immediately at her. "You."

The girl froze. "Alpha... W-What did I do?"

"You did nothing." I beckoned her forward and she obeyed nervously.

I called for a nearby guard and he approached instantly. "Give her your cloak."

The guard, the maid and everyone else who heard what I had just said, blinked in surprise.

The captain frowned and called out to me. "Alpha?"

I ignored him as I had my own plan in mind.

The cloak settled over the girl’s shoulders. From a distance... In poor lighting... She could pass as Selena though not perfectly but enough.

The captain finally approached. "Alpha, we need an attack plan."

"Yes We do." I said as he waited for me to continue but when I said nothing, he went on to ask.

"So what is the plan, Alpha Kael?"

"Nothing." I simply said and his eyes widened.

"Nothing?" He asked again to be sure he heard correctly.

"There’s no plan yet."

"Alpha, assassins are inside the castle."

"I’m very well aware of that."

"Then why aren’t we hunting them?"

"Because hunters become prey when they chase blindly."

The captain looked frustrated but I couldn’t blame him because he couldn’t hear what I heard. He couldn’t see what I saw and couldn’t count footsteps through walls.

I pointed at two guards. "You two."

They straightened. "Escort her to the Guest Wing."

The captain frowned harder. "What?"

"Stay close to the walls." I said as the guards exchanged confused looks. "And move slowly."

"Yes, Alpha."

The maid looked terrified but couldn’t say a word. The escort began while the captain stared after them.

Then he stared at me and back at them. Finally he asked, "What exactly are you doing, Alpha Kael?"

I folded my arms. "Setting bait."

His expression stated he didn’t understand what I meant but he just couldn’t question me further.

A dangerous smile crossed my face because unlike most Alphas, I preferred winning before a battle began.

Hours later I sat inside my office waiting, Listening and Calculating.

Every few minutes a mindlink arrived from the guards. "We’ve reached the west corridor."

"Good."

Several minutes later— "We are approaching the staircase."

Then— "We are Crossing the gallery."

The captain kept pacing in my office while I remained seated with my father’s dagger spinning in between my fingers.

The weapon was old, worn out but still beautiful. It was one of the few things I’d inherited from him.

I still remember the day he gave it to me. "Victory belongs to the Alpha who thinks," he’d said. "Not the one who swings first."

Those words had shaped my life. Now they echoed through my head again.

A new mindlink suddenly arrived, breaking my thoughts. "Alpha."

I straightened. "Report."

"We’ve reached the corridor leading to the Guest Wing."

My eyes narrowed as I asked. "Is there anything unusual?"

Silence then— "We can hear footsteps."

A smile touched my lips. "Good." I said and disconnected from the mindlink.

The bait had worked.

I stood and the captain immediately stopped pacing. "Well?" He eagerly asked.

"They took the bait."

His face lit up. "They followed the girl?"

"Yes."

I turned toward the captain. "Gather every available guard."

His posture straightened. "Immediately Alpha."

"And Use the hidden passage." His eyes widened because the secret route is the one built generations ago. The one that led directly behind the Guest Wing.

It was perfect for our plan. "Surround them."

The captain grinned. "And then?"

"Kill them." He nodded sharply and rushed out.

The office fell quiet again as I resumed spinning my dagger and above me hung my father’s portrait.

I looked up at the portrait and said, "They’re not getting her."

The painted man said nothing but somehow I felt he’d approve.

Minutes crawled past then finally—The captain’s voice burst through the mindlink. "Contact!"

I stood instantly. "Report."

"The assassins attacked." The captain said.

My smile returned. "And?"

"We counter-attacked immediately." He said and I could still hear steel clashing faintly through the link with men shouting.

"Who has the advantage?" I asked and the captain sounded almost excited immediately .

"We have more advantages. It went exactly as planned."

I stopped before my father’s portrait. "The victory was clean and efficient with no unnecessary losses or danger to Selena.

"How many assassins?"I asked through the mindlink again.

The answer should have been obvious because I had counted them myself. So before he could answer, I smiled and said. "Four."

There was a pause then the captain responded . "They are three, Alpha.

My smile vanished as the room suddenly felt colder and very slowly, I lowered the dagger.

I had heard four sets of footsteps, not three. Every instinct inside me roared awake and my wolf snarled.

The captain kept talking but I barely heard him because suddenly the entire battle looked different.

I suddenly realized the chase towards the Guest Wing was also a decoy for the assassins.

"Fuck!!!"