chapter 75: DERM

The Alpha's grip on the edge of the map tightened.

This was not the first time he had spoken to Elias. Not the first time he had been close enough to observe him, to measure his every move.

So why now?

Why had his body reacted this time?

His gaze drifted to the closed door, his thoughts refusing to settle. He had expected many things from this exchange—deception, resistance, even a hint of fear.

But not this.

Not the lingering heat in his veins.

Not the unsettling pull beneath his skin.

Elias was an anomaly.

A carefully crafted enigma wrapped in fragile bones and feigned innocence.

Yet, when the Alpha had stepped closer, when he had stared into those unreadable eyes, something within him had stirred. Something raw, something reckless.

It was instinct.

The kind that demanded he strip away the façade, force Elias to reveal whatever truth he was hiding.

But there had been something else beneath that.

Something more dangerous.

A flicker of something primal.

His jaw clenched. He would not entertain this thought further.

It was nothing.

It meant nothing.

A sharp knock on the door pulled him from his spiraling thoughts.

"Enter," he commanded, voice steady.

The door opened, and in stepped a figure he recognized instantly—Drain.

His childhood friend. His most trusted soldier.

Drain stopped just inside the room, his usual confidence barely concealed beneath the arch of his brow. He was sharp-eyed, always watching, always reading between the lines.

And right now, he was watching the Alpha with far too much interest.

Silence stretched for a moment.

Then, slowly, Drain's lips curved into a smirk.

He didn't say a word.

Didn't need to.

The Alpha straightened, his expression turning colder, more composed. "What is it?"

Drain's smirk deepened, amusement dancing in his gaze. "Nothing. Just… You seem distracted."

A calculated pause.

Then, as if to drive the point home, Drain let his gaze flicker—just briefly—to the Alpha's lower stance before lifting his eyes again, full of silent mockery.

The Alpha's expression did not change.

"I don't recall asking for your observations," he said, voice like steel.

Drain chuckled, but wisely chose not to push further. "Fair enough."

The Alpha exhaled slowly, forcing his mind back to reality. "Report."

Drain leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Scouts have returned. No sign of movement beyond the outer perimeter. But the men are talking."

The Alpha's gaze sharpened. "About what?"

Drain's smirk turned lazy. "You know what."

Elias.

The Alpha said nothing.

Drain studied him for a moment before pushing off the frame. "You can silence them, of course. But it won't change the fact that they're noticing things."

"Noticing what?" the Alpha asked, his tone deceptively, while Drain shrugged. "The way you watch him."

The Alpha's fingers twitched.

Drain chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm not saying it means anything, of course. But if I didn't know you better, I'd almost think you—"

"Enough."

A single word. Low. Cold. Drain Absolutely didn't flinch, but the amusement in his eyes dimmed—just slightly.

A warning.

Still, he never could resist a final jab.

"As you command," Drain murmured, stepping back toward the door. "Just… be careful. Wouldn't want you losing your head over a pretty mystery."

And with that, he was gone.

The door shut, leaving the Alpha alone once more.

He inhaled slowly, pressing his palms against the edge of the table.

Damn Drain.

Damn his sharp eyes and sharper tongue.

But the worst part?

Drain wasn't wrong.

The Alpha pushed back, forcing himself to move, to walk away from this suffocating train of thought.

His body was still on edge, the tension refusing to leave.

He needed to regain control.

Needed to silence the heat threatening to settle where it had no place.

And for the first time in his life—

He turned toward the washroom.

The water was cold. Ice cold.

He let it pour over him, seeping into his skin, washing away the unwanted heat, the unspoken thoughts.

This was nothing.

It had to be nothing.

Because if it wasn't—

Then Elias was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.

And the Alpha could not afford to let his guard down.

Not now.

Not ever.