“Betrayed.” The word hangs in the air like a physical thing, and something primal snaps inside me.
My brother barrels through the doorway, his scent spiking with rage and something else… guilt, poorly masked by fury. “What the hell did you just say?” Ronan demands, stalking toward the doctor.
Dr. Merrick’s face pales. “Alpha heir, I was simply...“
“You dare accuse me of betraying my mate?” Ronan’s power fills the room, oppressive and dark. His eyes flash amber as he advances on the doctor, who backs against his supply cabinet. “I should rip your throat out for even suggesting...“
“Enough.” I step between them, my voice cutting through his tirade like a blade. Not shouting. Not threatening. Just absolute.
The room goes silent.
My wolf rises, matching Ronan’s dominance with something older, steadier. PROTECT HER.
“Stand down, brother,” I say quietly, meeting his gaze without flinching. “The doctor wasdoing his job.”
“Stay out of this, Rylan,” Ronan snarls, trying to step around me. “This is between me and...“
“I said enough.” This time I let a hint of my wolf bleed into my voice, the timbre dropping to something that resonates through the small office. I don’t raise my volume, but the authority in my tone makes Ronan freeze mid-step.
Behind me, I sense Selena’s steady presence. She hasn’t cowered or retreated. Good. She’s stronger this time.
“You forget yourself,” Ronan hisses, his fists clenching at his sides. “I am the Alpha heir.”
“And I am your older brother,” I counter, “the original Alpha heir… and the only reason you have the Alpha heir position today. I can always change that decision and we can see who outranks you in the pack hierarchy. You know who's stronger little brother. Unless you want to challenge that… right here, right now?”
The threat hangs between us, charged with decades of unspoken tension. I position myself slightly in front of Selena, not claiming her, I’d never be so foolish, but making it clear she’s under my protection.
Ronan’s gaze flicks between us, calculation replacing his initial rage. “Fine,” he finally says, stepping back. “But this conversation isn’t over.”
Dr. Merrick clears his throat, the amber bottle still clutched in his trembling hand. “These suppressants will help with the bond pain,” he says to Selena, carefully avoiding Ronan’s glare. “One tablet every six hours. No more than that.”
I watch as Selena reaches for the bottle, her movements deliberate and controlled despite the pain I know she’s feeling. Her head lowers slightly, the perfect picture of a submissive mate, but I catch the steel in her spine, the careful placement of her feet. She’s acting, and acting well.
“Thank you, doctor,” she murmurs, her voice soft but steady.
Ronan steps toward her, hand outstretched. “Come, Selena. I’ll take you back to your quarters.”
“Actually,” I interject smoothly, “Dr. Merrick recommended she rest without... additional stress on the bond tonight. I’ll escort her to ensure she arrives safely.”
The look Ronan gives me could skin a bear alive. “How thoughtful of you, brother.”
“Just doing my duty as Enforcer,” I reply evenly.
We exit the medical office, Selena between us, the tension thick enough to cut with a claw. As we move through the main corridor, pack members pause their conversations, watching the drama unfold. Their whispers follow us like smoke.
“Poor thing...”
“Did you see how the Alpha heir looked at her?”
“I heard he was with someone else...”
“But they’re mates...”
“That’s dishonoring the Moon Goddess…”
The tide is shifting. I notice how gazes linger on Ronan with uncertainty rather than adoration. How sympathy flows toward Selena in gentle nods and concerned glances. The facade is beginning to crack.
Ronan notices too. His jaw tightens as we reach the junction where the path splits, one way leading to the Alpha family’s wing, the other to the general quarters.
