chapter 138: not yet

The Alpha leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping idly against the armrest.

The night was still, the fortress silent, but he could feel it—a shift in the air, a disturbance in the game he had been quietly overseeing.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

Elias had found something.

Of course, he had.

He was sharper than the rest, more stubborn. The others had been too afraid, too broken to dig too deeply. But Elias?

He was different.

The Alpha had known it from the moment he laid eyes on him.

And now?

Now, Elias was fighting against the inevitable.

The soldier standing before him shifted uneasily. "He took the book, my Lord."

The Alpha chuckled, low and amused. "Of course he did."

"He's locked himself in his room."

Good.

The drug would be setting in by now, curling into him, making his body betray him in ways he wouldn't understand.

The Alpha tilted his head, considering.

Should he step in?

Should he watch?

Should he wait for Elias to reach his limit?

The thought sent something sharp through him—anticipation, amusement, something else.

He exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around the armrest.

No.

Not yet.

Elias wasn't ready to break.

And the Alpha?

He wanted to enjoy every second before he did.