chapter 52: playing mine

Elias kept his expression carefully composed, but inside, his mind raced. The Alpha wanted him close. That could mean many things, none of them safe. He had worked so hard to remain unnoticed, to let the soldiers mock him while keeping his true self buried beneath layers of meekness. But now, the Alpha was peeling those layers away, one by one, with every word, every sharp glance.

He lowered his gaze, letting silence stretch between them. If he responded too quickly, it would seem like he had something to hide. If he hesitated too long, the Alpha would grow impatient.

"Of course, Alpha," he finally murmured, voice soft, almost reluctant.

The Alpha watched him for another beat, then smirked again, as if he had won some silent battle. "Good." He turned back to the table, reaching for a sheet of parchment. "You'll start by accompanying me today. I need to assess the northern perimeter, and since you seem so… observant, I'm sure you'll find it enlightening."

Elias felt his stomach twist.

Accompany him? Outside?

That was dangerous for many reasons.

First, he would be surrounded by soldiers, all of whom had heard the rumors about him. Even if they dismissed the whispers as exaggerations, they would still be watching him. Any misstep, any sign that he was more than a fragile, trembling Omega, and they would report back to the Alpha.

Second, if the assassin—or whoever had been watching him last night—was still waiting for an opportunity, then leaving the safety of his room would make him an easy target.

And third…

The Alpha was already too suspicious.

Elias had spent his life hiding. First from those who wanted him dead, then from those who wanted to use him. He had survived by being invisible. But now, with a single order, the Alpha was pulling him into the light.

He forced his fingers to twitch, as if he were nervous. "A-Are you sure, Alpha? I wouldn't want to be a burden…"

The Alpha's sharp gaze cut back to him.

Elias knew instantly that he had said the wrong thing.

"A burden?" the Alpha repeated, voice laced with amusement. "That's an interesting choice of words." He leaned forward slightly, resting both hands on the table. "Are you saying you'd slow me down?"

Elias lowered his head further, as if cowed. "I only meant… I wouldn't want to interfere with your duties."

The Alpha studied him for another long moment, then let out a low chuckle. "Don't worry, Elias. If you become a burden, I'll let you know."

That wasn't reassuring.

Before Elias could think of another excuse, the Alpha pushed away from the table. "We leave in an hour. Be ready."

The conversation was over.

Elias bowed his head slightly, murmuring a quiet, "Yes, Alpha," before stepping back toward the door.

The guards who had escorted him were waiting outside, their expressions unreadable. One of them gestured for him to follow, leading him back to his quarters.

As they walked, the weight of what had just happened settled onto his shoulders.

The Alpha wasn't just watching him anymore. He was testing him. And that meant Elias couldn't afford a single mistake.

The moment he stepped back into his room, he pressed his back against the closed door, exhaling slowly. His fingers curled into fists at his sides.

He needed to think.

The Alpha's insistence on keeping him close was both a risk and an opportunity. If Elias played his role well, he could gain access to valuable information—secrets about the camp, about the war, about the people who had been killing Omegas in the past. But if he made even one wrong move, if the Alpha saw through him completely…

Elias pushed off the door and moved to the small wooden basin of water near his bed. He splashed some onto his face, letting the cold jolt his mind into sharper focus.

This wasn't like before.

He had spent years pretending to be weak, keeping his skills buried beneath layers of submission. But that was when he had been just another forgotten Omega. Now, the Alpha was watching him. The soldiers were whispering. The assassins were lurking.

He had to be smarter.

Stronger.

More careful.

Elias straightened, staring at his own reflection in the water.

He had vowed long ago not to use his skills. He had sworn he would never fight again after his master left him.

But if he wanted to survive this—if he wanted to find out the truth about the past, about the people who had been hunting his kind—then he couldn't just sit back and wait.

He had to start investigating.

The Alpha might think he was pulling Elias into his game.

But what he didn't realize was that Elias had already started playing his own.