chapter 77: not sure

The night air was thick with unease. Even though Elias was safe in his newly appointed room, he could feel it pressing in from all sides—the whispers of soldiers outside his door, the weight of their stares, and the lingering tension from the failed attempt on his life. He sat on the edge of the small but well-furnished bed, staring at the faint moonlight filtering through the narrow window. His fingers absently traced the fabric of his sleeve, mind replaying everything over and over.

They had tried to kill him. Just like the others.

But unlike them, he had survived.

A quiet exhale left his lips. He had been pretending for so long that even now, in the silence, it was second nature. His body was supposed to be fragile, weak. He was supposed to be the same as those who had come before him—helpless, afraid. And yet, when death came for him, the instincts he had buried so deep had surfaced without hesitation.

The weight of old vows settled heavily on his chest. I wasn't supposed to fight again.

But if he hadn't, he would be dead.

His fingers curled into the fabric, tightening as his thoughts wandered further. His master had trained him well, and yet, when he had needed him most, the man had vanished. Elias had been forced into this life, ripped from the home he thought was his, and left with nothing but the knowledge that he had been abandoned.

The whispers outside grew louder for a brief moment before fading again. Elias didn't need to hear the words to know what they were about. The time was drawing near. The pattern was clear now—Omegas brought into this fortress never lasted long. They were killed, erased as if they had never existed. And for the first time since arriving, Elias allowed himself to acknowledge the truth.

They were waiting for his turn.

But this time, things would be different.

This time, the Omega would not go quietly.

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Meanwhile, in another part of the fortress, the Alpha stood in his private chambers, staring at the faint mist curling from his skin. The cold water dripped from his hair, trailing down his sharp jaw, but it did little to cool the fire burning beneath his skin. He braced his hands against the edge of the basin, exhaling sharply.

This wasn't the first time they had spoken.

His fingers twitched at the memory of Elias's quiet voice, his downcast eyes, the way he carried himself like something fragile. And yet… beneath that act was something else. Something carefully concealed.

I saw it.

The way Elias had moved during the assassination attempt. The way he had reacted too quickly for someone who was supposed to be helpless. The way he had played the role of the victim so effortlessly afterward.

He wasn't supposed to care. The Alpha had no reason to. But the urge to protect Elias—to understand him—clawed at the edges of his mind. His thoughts were an unwelcome distraction, one he couldn't afford.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. He didn't move.

Then the door opened, and a familiar figure stepped inside. His childhood friend, one of his most trusted soldiers, halted mid-step, taking in the state of him—standing there, fresh from a cold shower, tension still rippling through his muscles. A slow, knowing smirk crossed his friend's face.

But he said nothing.

The Alpha narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Nothing." The smirk deepened. "Just never thought I'd see the day you were this… distracted."

His jaw clenched. "I'm not."

"Of course not."

The Alpha exhaled sharply and turned away, reaching for a towel. "Do you have a report, or are you here just to be insufferable?"

His friend chuckled, but his voice sobered as he spoke. "The soldiers are restless. After what happened, they're on edge. Some think the attack was an outside job, but others… well." He hesitated. "They think it was an inside move. And they're watching him now."

Him.

Elias.

The Alpha stilled, towel forgotten in his grip. "They won't touch him." His voice was low, sharp.

A pause. Then a quiet chuckle. "Didn't think you'd be so sure about that."

He wasn't. That was the problem.

Because the more he thought about Elias, the more he realized—

Elias wasn't just another victim.

He was something else entirely.

And the Alpha needed to find out what.