What am I?
An omega?
A useless lowlife?
I don't know...
The question hit like a physical blow. He wanted to speak, to explain, but how could he? He didn't understand it himself.
"I..." He swallowed hard. "I don't know. It just… happened. I didn't mean to..."
Lucien studied him in silence, as if weighing every heartbeat, every flicker in his eyes. Then, after a long pause, he spoke, his tone lower, more dangerous.
"Redstone."
Devon's head snapped up. "What about them?"
Lucien's jaw tightened. "The assassins were hired through a handler. Their payment bore Redstone's crest."
For a moment, the world seemed to tilt. Devon felt the blood drain from his face.
"That's impossible," he whispered. "Redstone wouldn't… they…"
But even as he said it, the memories came, the cruelty, the exile, the Beta's laughter. The betrayal.
Lucien's gaze didn't waver. "You expect me to believe it's a coincidence? You, an exiled omega from Redstone, found half-dead in the forest the same night my son was targeted?"
Devon's hands clenched in the sheets.
"I had nothing to do with them. I swear it, Alpha. They threw me out. I was beaten, broken, and left to die. I would never harm your pack… or Elias." His voice cracked on the boy's name.
For a moment, Lucien said nothing. The silence was suffocating.
Then, finally, he spoke again, softer this time. "My son would not stop crying until he knew you were alive. Whatever bond you two share… I won't break it. But I need the truth."
Devon's shoulders trembled. He met the Alpha's eyes, and what Lucien saw there wasn't deceit. It was exhaustion, pain, and a deep, quiet sincerity.
"I don't know what I am," Devon said finally, his voice raw. "All I know is that I've never wanted power. I've never wanted to hurt anyone. I just wanted to live."
Lucien exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable.
Then, to Devon's surprise, he nodded once. "Very well."
He turned toward the door, pausing briefly before leaving. "You'll remain under protection. Not confinement, protection. My son needs you."
Devon blinked, startled. "Even after… what you saw?"
Lucien glanced over his shoulder.
"You saved his life. Twice." His gaze softened, almost imperceptibly. "That earns trust, not suspicion. For now."
With that, he left, the heavy door closing behind him.
Devon sat in stunned silence, the echoes of the Alpha's words still ringing in his ears.
For now...
He wasn't sure if that was mercy or a warning. But as he looked toward the window, where moonlight spilled across the floor, a strange calm filled him.
Whatever he was… whatever was happening to him… he would use it to protect the only person who had ever clung to him out of love, not pity.
Elias.
Even if it meant standing against the very pack that had cast him out.
Night draped the Ravenmoon mansion in stillness once again, though this time, it was not peace that filled its halls, but quiet curiosity.
From the shadows of a high balcony overlooking the east wing, Lucien stood with arms folded, his gaze fixed on the figure below. Through the tall windows of the courtyard, he could see Devon walking with Elias, slow steps, careful movements, the boy's laughter echoing faintly in the cool night air.
Lucien's sharp eyes noted every detail. Just days ago, that man had been on the brink of death, bones broken, body torn, fevered from infection. Yet now, he walked as if his wounds had never existed.
"His recovery defies even a healer's logic," murmured Rowan beside him. The Beta had appeared silently, as he always did. "By all rights, he should still be bedridden. Not strolling through the gardens like nothing happened."
Lucien didn't reply immediately. He was watching more than the man, he was watching the air around him.
The Ravenmoon mansion itself was ancient. Built centuries ago, it was alive in its own way, woven with spell-bound stones and blood-activated sigils that hummed faintly under moonlight. Only those attuned to magic could sense it. And tonight, that magic was stirring.
The faint runes along the courtyard walls shimmered as Devon passed, threads of pale blue light trailing behind him, subtle, almost invisible unless one knew what to look for.
Lucien's gaze sharpened. "The mansion reacts to him."
Rowan frowned. "What do you mean?"
Lucien tilted his head slightly. "The protective wards. They've never responded to anyone outside of our bloodline. But when he walks through the corridors, they… move."
Rowan followed his gaze, and his eyes widened when he finally noticed it, the faint pulse of energy blooming wherever Devon's shadow touched. "That shouldn't be possible."
"No," Lucien said quietly. "It shouldn't."
The Beta crossed his arms, watching as Elias tugged Devon toward a cluster of night-blooming lilies. "You think it's connected to what happened that night? The barrier that shielded them both?"
Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly. "I think whatever he is… It's tied to something mysterious than either of us understands."
Down in the courtyard, Devon laughed softly, a sound he hadn't realized he could still make. Elias was showing him the small pond at the edge of the garden, pointing at the glowing fish that swam lazily under the water.
"You see that one?" Elias said proudly. "That's Lumi! Papa said he glows brighter when he's happy."
Devon knelt beside him, smiling faintly. "Then he must be happy a lot."
The boy giggled and leaned closer to the pond. Devon watched him with quiet fondness, the warmth of simple joy easing the dull ache that still lingered in his chest.
But beneath that warmth, something strange stirred.
A flicker. A pulse.
He flexed his fingers absentmindedly, and for a brief second, light shimmered beneath his skin, that same faint silver glow that had appeared during the attack. It faded quickly, but not before Devon saw it.
His heart skipped.
He looked around quickly, but no one seemed to notice. Elias was still babbling cheerfully about the fish. But Devon could feel it, the surge of energy humming inside him, stronger than before, pulsing like a second heartbeat.
It wasn't painful, but it wasn't normal either. His body felt… alive, too alive, as though every sense was sharper, every breath charged with invisible power. The air around him tingled faintly, responding to his movements.
He didn't understand it.