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~CHAPTER 53~
~Kael's POV~
I followed Lyon down the hall to my study, my mind still churning over Rhiannon's calculated move at breakfast.
Her bringing up our fun day out wasn't just a casual comment; it was an intentional move to stir up tension between my brothers.
And it had worked perfectly. Those dimwits fell for it.
Riven's white knuckles gripping his fork, Lucien's unusual silence throughout most of the meal, Talon's sharp jab about going behind their backs… they'd all felt it.
The unity we'd maintained since bringing her here had cracked the moment she casually dropped that information.
She was playing a game, and I couldn't decide if I was impressed by her strategy or wary of what it might mean for all of us.
Lyon shut the study door behind us with a soft click, his usual easy grin spreading across his face as he dropped into one of the leather chairs across from my desk. Despite the early hour, he looked alert and energised.
"Good to be back, Alpha," he said, stretching his legs out in front of him. "That diplomatic mission was a complete slog, but productive. Very productive."
"Tell me," I said, leaning back against my desk and crossing my arms. I needed something concrete to focus on, something that wasn't Rhiannon's knowing smile or the way she'd looked at me in that hallway.
Lyon launched into his report in a steady but animated voice, with the satisfaction of a job well done.
"The Crescent Pack's been a headache for months now, as you well know. Their gold mining operation has been steadily encroaching on our shared border, gradually eating into our territory. Small incursions at first, but getting bolder."
I nodded, remembering the reports that had been flooding my desk before Lyon left. "And Torin?"
"Alpha Torin's as stubborn as they come, but I managed to get him to see reason." Lyon's grin widened. "I met with him directly and laid out the stakes—our patrol routes, our legitimate territorial claim, the very real risk of this escalating into something none of us want. Took three days of negotiations, but he finally agreed to sell us the disputed strip for a fair price."
"How fair?"
"Fair enough that it won't affect our finances in the slightest, reasonable enough that he can save face with his pack. More importantly, it means we control the mining rights now, and all that revenue flows to us instead of being split or contested."
I felt some of the tension in my shoulders ease. "That's excellent work, Lyon. One less border dispute to worry about, and additional income for the pack. Well done."
"Thanks. Besides, once we build a mining town there and create roads, we can erect a toll gate to generate revenue from traders using our road. The second route is pretty bad."
"Good one."
He beamed at the praise, but then his expression shifted slightly, curiosity creeping in.
"There's more, actually. Nightshade Pack is hosting the Alpha Ball this year, and they've sent invites. You, Riven, Lucien, Darian, Talon and your plus ones. Should be quite the affair."
The Alpha Ball. I'd nearly forgotten about it with everything else going on.
Lyon leaned forward slightly, his tone shifting to something more cautious. "But, uh, that brings up an interesting question."
"Which is?"
"How exactly do we handle that? Five Alphas, one mate. Rhiannon's the talk of every pack by now… news travels fast in our world. Will you all show up with her, or would there be some kind of rotation, or...?"
I shook my head, cutting him off before he could continue down that path. "That's not my main concern right now."
Lyon raised an eyebrow, settling back in his chair. "Oh? What's bigger than figuring out the Luna situation? Because I can tell you right now, every Alpha at that ball is going to have questions. Some friendly, some... less so."
I hesitated, feeling the weight of what I needed to tell him settling in my chest like a stone. This conversation had been inevitable since the moment Lyon walked back through our doors, but that didn't make it any easier.
"Her father died recently," I said finally.
Lyon's easy grin faded immediately, his eyes widening with genuine sympathy. "Damn, that's rough. Poor girl. I can't imagine losing a parent. But I'm sure she'd still want to…"
"No," I interrupted. I lowered it, glancing toward the door as if someone might be listening from the hallway. "That's not the issue."
"Wait, there's more??"
I took a breath. "The issue is... Lucien killed her father."
What followed was silence. Lyon's jaw dropped, his usual composure completely shattered. He leaned forward abruptly, his hands gripping the arms of the chair so tight.
"You're serious?" His voice came out as barely more than a whisper. "Lucien? How… why didn't I know about this? When did this happen?"
"While you were away. Her father tried to assassinate him after the wedding. Lucien defended himself."
"But she doesn't know it was Lucien specifically?"
"She knows. She knows her father is dead… knows he died at Lucien's hands, but to her, we're all responsible."
Lyon's face had gone pale. "Moon Goddess. No wonder she's been..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "How is she even staying in the same house as you all? And when I saw her just now… she had a small smile if I saw right."
"That's what I'm trying to figure out." I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly feeling exhausted. "She's playing some kind of game, Lyon. This morning at breakfast, the way she spoke and carried herself was calculated. She's manipulating us, pitting us against each other."
"Can you blame her?" Lyon asked quietly. "If someone killed my father and then expected me to mate with them?"
"No," I admitted. "I can't. But it makes everything more complicated."
"Does she know? About the assassination attempt, I mean?"
"She was there before any of us ever got into the room."
The look on Lyon's fce screamed suspicion. "Before anyone else? Was she… is she an accompl…"
My glare silenced my Gamma before he could spill more venom from his mouth.
"Some people believe so but I highly doubt it. She was a wreck."
Lyon leaned back in his chair, processing everything I'd told him. "Or an act. You can't over rule the suspicion on the basis that she is your mate, though. However, I do not sense any evil intent or dark energy from her."
"Hmm."
"So she thinks her father was justified in trying to kill you all?"
"I don't know what she thinks. That's the problem. We may have bought her, but we treated her right."
"With your failed harem, I doubt that. You can give her more freedom now, though, to earn her trust."
"And risk her running away before we can complete the mating bond?" I shook my head. "It's too dangerous."
"But keeping her like a prisoner is dangerous, too. She's already manipulating you all..."
Before I could respond, a sharp knock echoed through the study. Talon's voice came through the door.
"Kael, we've got trouble at the border. You need to hear this now."
I straightened immediately, all thoughts of Rhiannon and her games pushed aside by the tone in Talon's voice. "Come in."
The door opened, and Talon stepped inside, his usually relaxed demeanour replaced by something much more serious. He nodded to Lyon in greeting before focusing on me.
"What kind of trouble?" I asked.
"The kind that involves three dead patrol guards and a message carved into a tree," Talon said grimly. "Someone wants our attention, and they wanted it badly enough to kill for it."
Lyon was on his feet immediately. "Which border?"
"Eastern. Near the old oak grove. Marcus found the bodies an hour ago during his morning rounds."
"What did the message say?" I asked, though part of me already dreaded the answer.
Talon's expression darkened further. "It said, 'The daughter remembers. The father's blood cries. You cannot hide behind bonds forever. She's coming."
The room fell into absolute silence. Lyon looked between Talon and me with confusion, but I felt ice forming in my veins.
"Someone's deliberately doing this to frame Rhiannon," I said quietly.
"That's what I'm thinking," Talon agreed. "Question is, is it a set-up or is it true she is the one doing this, judging by how she acted today? And what exactly do they plan to do about it?"
Lyon held up a hand. "Wait. Can someone explain what's happening here? Because this sounds like it's about more than just border trouble."
I looked at Talon, who nodded grimly. We'd have to bring Lyon fully up to speed, and fast. If someone was targeting us because of Rhiannon's situation, we needed all hands on deck.
"Sit down, Lyon," I said. "This is going to take a while to explain."
"Actually," Talon interrupted, "it's going to have to wait. Marcus is holding the scene, but we need to get out there before the trail goes cold."
"Okay."
"But what do we tell Rhiannon?"
"Nothing," I said immediately. "Not until we know more."
"You sure about that? If someone's coming after us because of her, she has a right to know."
"She has a right to know a lot of things," I said. "That doesn't mean now is the right time."
Lyon looked between us with growing concern. "Just how deep does this go?"
Talon and I exchanged another look. "Deep enough to know, aside from Ryan, Rhiannon's father, and Rhiannon herself, we have an insider who helped him."
"For reals?"
I nodded. "He stole the Moon dagger and the Moon stone."
"Only a pack member knows about this," Talon finished.