chapter 39: gossip, shocking truth

The night dragged on, but sleep never came.

Elias remained still in his bed, staring at the ceiling as the echoes of the fight replayed in his mind. The assassin had been good—silent, precise. But not perfect. They had underestimated him.

That wouldn't happen again.

The guards outside his door shuffled occasionally, but they remained quiet for the most part. They were on edge. Good. So was he.

By the time the first hints of dawn seeped through the cracks in the window, Elias had made a decision.

If they thought he would cower after this, they were wrong.

He pushed himself up, rolling his shoulders to ease the stiffness in his muscles. His sleeve was still torn from the fight. He examined the exposed scar on his forearm before pulling the fabric back over it.

No more hesitation.

He would find out who had sent that assassin.

And he would find out what had really been happening to the Omegas before him.

---

The Alpha's Orders

Caidren stood on the training grounds, watching the soldiers go through their morning drills. His mind, however, was elsewhere.

Aedric approached, his expression unreadable. "The assassin left no trace. We searched the grounds, the outer walls, even questioned the sentries. Whoever they were, they knew how to disappear."

Caidren wasn't surprised. He had spent enough years dealing with people who operated in the shadows to know when an enemy was trained to be a ghost.

"They will try again," he said.

Aedric nodded. "Should we assign more guards to Elias?"

Caidren exhaled, his gaze drifting toward the castle. "No."

Aedric frowned. "No?"

"The more guards he has, the more he will feel like prey. And I don't think he's the kind that takes well to being caged."

Aedric hesitated. "You think he's more dangerous than we were told?"

Caidren didn't answer immediately. He thought of the way Elias had moved, the control in his strikes. That wasn't the fumbling resistance of a desperate boy. That was training. Discipline.

And yet… something didn't add up. If Elias had been raised to fight, why had he spent so long pretending otherwise?

Finally, Caidren spoke. "Keep watching him. But do not interfere."

Aedric gave him a long look but didn't argue.

Caidren turned back to the soldiers. The sun had fully risen now, casting long shadows across the training field.

Somewhere in the depths of the stronghold, Elias was waking up to a new day.

And Caidren had no doubt that today, the boy would start asking the right questions.

---

The First Clue

Elias dressed quickly, pulling on a fresh tunic. He made sure to keep his sleeves rolled down, hiding the scar.

By the time he stepped into the hallway, the stronghold had fully awakened. Soldiers moved in disciplined formations, servants hurried about their tasks, and the ever-present hum of tension still lingered in the air.

The two guards stationed outside his door straightened as he emerged.

"Going somewhere?" one of them asked.

Elias didn't bother answering. He simply started walking.

The guards hesitated, then fell into step behind him. Watching.

Good. Let them watch.

He wasn't planning on sneaking around. Not yet.

Instead, he made his way toward the one place where whispers carried the loudest.

The kitchens.

If there was one thing he had learned growing up, it was that servants saw everything. And more importantly, they gossiped.

He stepped inside, and the wave of heat from the cooking fires greeted him instantly. The room bustled with movement—cooks preparing meals, maids carrying trays, scullery boys scrubbing pots.

A few heads turned in his direction.

He was still a curiosity. The Omega who had survived the night.

Elias ignored the stares and made his way to an older woman who was kneading dough at a wooden table. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing strong, flour-dusted arms.

She barely glanced up as he approached. "You eat yet?"

Elias shook his head.

She snorted. "Figures. Sit."

He obeyed, taking a seat at the bench across from her. She continued kneading, her hands moving with practiced ease.

"So," she said after a moment, "are you going to ask, or do you want to pretend you just came down here for breakfast?"

Elias met her eyes. "You know why I'm here."

She smirked. "I know why you think you're here."

He remained silent.

She wiped her hands on her apron and finally leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "You're not the first, you know. There have been others. Omegas sent here before you."

Elias felt a chill despite the heat of the kitchens. "What happened to them?"

Her smirk faded.

"They disappeared."

---

The Buried Truth

Elias let the words sink in.

Disappeared.

Not killed. Not sent away.

Just… gone.

His stomach tightened. He had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed was different.

The woman studied him, her gaze sharper than before. "But you… you're different."

Elias tensed. "Why?"

She tapped a flour-dusted finger against the wooden table. "Because you fought back."

The words hung between them.

She stood abruptly and turned back to her work, voice lowering further. "If I were you, I'd be careful who sees you asking questions. There are people in this stronghold who don't like when things don't go according to plan."

Elias glanced at the guards by the door. They hadn't moved, but he could feel their attention on him.

The woman continued kneading. "Go on, then. Eat something before you start making trouble."

Elias hesitated, then grabbed a piece of bread from the basket on the table.

He had his first clue.

Now, he just needed to find the rest.