chapter 79: a web of secrets

Elias didn't sleep.

Not truly.

He remained still, breathing slow and steady, eyes half-lidded as he listened. He had spent years perfecting the act—becoming something fragile, something ignorable. But even as he played his role, his mind worked. The pieces were coming together.

Someone had tried to kill him earlier than expected. That much was certain. But what bothered him wasn't just the attempt—it was who had orchestrated it. The Alpha was too careful, too controlled. If he wanted Elias dead, he would have waited for the cycle to play out like it had before.

So who ordered it?

The answer lay somewhere within this fortress.

But finding it without drawing attention? That was the real challenge.

A shift in the air pulled him from his thoughts. The hallway was no longer empty.

Heavy footsteps. Slow. Measured.

Elias knew who it was before the door opened.

The Alpha didn't knock. He didn't need to. The authority he carried was absolute, and the soldiers guarding the door stepped aside the moment he approached.

Elias remained still, blinking blearily as if he had just woken. He pushed himself up slightly, letting his body tremble just enough to sell the illusion.

The Alpha stood in the doorway, watching him.

His presence filled the room, an unspoken weight pressing down on Elias. He didn't move, didn't speak right away. The silence stretched between them, thick with something unspoken.

Finally, the Alpha stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him.

"You didn't call for the guards," he said.

Elias lowered his gaze, fingers tightening around the sheets. "I… didn't think I needed to."

A lie.

And from the flicker of something in the Alpha's eyes, he knew it had been seen through.

The Alpha took another step closer, his voice quieter this time. "Someone was outside your door earlier."

Elias tensed, but he didn't let it show. "I was asleep."

Another lie.

The Alpha's gaze sharpened. He had already suspected something about Elias, but now… now he was certain. The frail act was too perfect.

A pause. Then: "You were awake."

Elias hesitated, just enough to make it look real. Then he dropped his gaze, shifting as if uncomfortable. "I—I was scared," he murmured. "I heard something, but I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to cause trouble."

The Alpha studied him. His silence was more dangerous than his words.

Finally, he spoke.

"You're lying."

Elias flinched on instinct. He didn't have to fake that part—the Alpha's presence alone was enough to make anyone wary.

"I—I don't know what you mean."

A long silence. Then the Alpha moved.

Elias had spent so much time watching people that he could read them before they acted. But the Alpha was different. He was controlled. Unreadable.

Which was why Elias barely reacted when the Alpha reached out, gripping his chin between two fingers and tilting his face upward.

His touch wasn't harsh, but it wasn't gentle either.

Elias forced himself to remain still, though every instinct screamed at him to pull away. The Alpha's eyes roamed his face, searching for something—some flicker of truth hidden beneath the mask Elias wore so carefully.

Then, after a moment, the Alpha spoke again.

"You were awake," he repeated, quieter this time. "And you knew someone was there."

Elias swallowed. "I… I was scared."

A slow exhale. The Alpha released him, stepping back.

"Then you should be more afraid," he said.

And with that, he turned, walking toward the door.

But before he left, he glanced over his shoulder.

"Because whoever was outside your door? They weren't just watching. They were waiting."

Then he was gone.

And Elias was left alone with the weight of his words.

---

The Watchers in the Dark

The soldiers posted outside Elias's room were alert now, their backs straight, hands on their weapons. Whatever orders the Alpha had given them, they were taking them seriously.

But it wouldn't matter.

Because whoever had tried to get to Elias before… they weren't done yet.

Deep in the fortress, in the shadows where no one looked, whispers passed between unseen figures.

"He survived."

"He was supposed to die like the rest."

"Then we try again."

A pause. Then:

"No. We wait."

Because killing Elias was no longer just about erasing an Omega.

It was about stopping what he might uncover.

---

The Alpha's Dilemma

He shouldn't care.

That thought repeated in the Alpha's mind as he stood by his desk, staring at the flickering candle. He shouldn't care about Elias. He shouldn't be questioning his own actions.

And yet…

He had seen the way Elias had moved during the assassination attempt. He had seen the intelligence behind his eyes, the way he calculated every movement. The fragile act was too good.

But why?

Why go through so much trouble?

The logical answer was survival. But there was something deeper than that. Something Elias wasn't saying.

And that meant one thing.

He was dangerous.

The Alpha exhaled sharply. His fingers drummed against the desk as his mind raced. He should let the cycle play out. It was how things had always been. Omegas came and went. Their fates were inevitable.

But when he pictured Elias—small, fragile, eyes wide with feigned innocence—something inside him tightened.

He isn't like the others.

And that realization was dangerous.

Because now, the Alpha had a choice.

Let Elias die like the others.

Or uncover the truth before it was too late.

---

A Decision is Made

The fortress was never truly silent.

And as the night stretched on, two figures lay awake.

Elias, waiting for his next move.

And the Alpha, torn between watching him… or protecting him.

But neither of them knew—

They weren't the only ones watching.