When Control Begins to Crack.

Keon’s POV:

The hallway was quieter than usual, almost unsettling. I had been pacing before anyone dared disturb me. Even the torches seemed dim tonight, their flames flickering like hesitant watchers. My hands flexed, curling into fists, then relaxing again. Nothing I did seemed to ease the tension in my chest.

I had spent the better part of the last day running every scenario through my head. And yet, I couldn’t shake the voice of Derrick in my mind.

“Your efforts are in vain brother.”

Well the method he proposed puts her in danger.

I scowl. I refused to let him be right. Absolutely refused. Winter wasn’t a pawn. She wasn’t bait. She was barely alive because of our people, because of me, but she would remain safe if I had anything to say about it.

The report sat on the table before me, neatly organized. Guards’ positions during the attack. Their exact movements. The timings. Every piece of data meticulously gathered by the spies I had sent. I had delayed asking about Winter’s past life until after I sorted out whatever this was. I needed context, history, to anticipate threats, and I had put it on hold. Now was not the time. Not until I knew she was safe.

But something nagged at me. The small inconsistency I had initially glossed over, one of those things that seemed insignificant at first. I should have ignored it. I always ignored minor details when life was in danger. Yet tonight, my instincts refused. Something didn’t sit right, like a shadow I could not ignore.

I stared at the page again, reading the patrol logs for the third time. It was all there. Times, locations, reports filed by the men themselves. Richard with Carter, then later on the same day, another shift with Logan, which ended just an hour before the attack.

I resist the urge to slam my fist onto the table. How is this even possible? I knew every guard by name, and I am the one who created the rooster for their work in the first place.

Call me an overthinker, but an inconsistent report that doesn't match previous records the day Winter is hurt is a big red flag.

My mindlink buzzes almost immediately,

Derrick’s calm, unbending voice cuts through my thoughts.

“You know this won’t change anything.”

I closed my eyes, resisting the pull of his presence.

Don’t you dare tell me my plans are wrong, Derrick.

“I'm sorry but they are. You should-’’

His voice is sharp but composed.

“No Derrick, every method you propose only sets her up as bait. You know it.”

I grit my teeth. I refuse to let her be bait.

“Then what? he asked, his tone smooth but piercing. What is your alternative, Alpha? Do you plan to stand in the middle of the forest with your wolves while someone tries to kill her again?”

I shake my head, like he could feel the motion.

No. But I will not manipulate her life into some trap to catch an attacker. She is not a tool.

And yet, Derrick’s presence pressed against my thoughts like weight

“You send spies into her past, you map every guard’s movements, you try to anticipate threats. That is exactly what you are doing. You just hide it behind good intentions.”

I slammed my hand against the table again.

Good intentions keep her alive!

“Yeah, and how far have those intentions brought you brother? Good intentions do not prevent death,” he replied coolly. “You think controlling everything, knowing everything, stops the world from being unpredictable? It doesn’t. You will never see everything, Keon. As powerful as you are, you are not omnipotent, or omnipresent.”

His words made my chest tighten. They always did. But I refused to yield. I would not. I couldn’t.

I took a deep breath, trying to center myself. I could feel the tension of my wolves still lingering inside me, their energy restless, like mine. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to push back the unease creeping into my mind.

Winter.

She was supposed to be unconscious, safe, protected. I should be there beside her. But instead, I was here, pacing, battling someone over methods and control while she rested. With my brother. My chest ached with guilt and frustration at the same time.

I exhaled, refusing to let Derrick feel the truth about my thoughts and emotions. If he did he’d know this was less about pride and something deeper.

So much deeper.

I channel my inner mind so it looks like it’s a leader trying to keep all his people safe. Not a man trying to protect his soulmate.

Do you understand now? I said mentally, focusing on the clarity of my intent. She cannot be a pawn. She cannot be bait. Not now, not ever.

I do, he says after a pause. But your methods will not work. Your emotions cloud your judgment.

You’re letting your pride affect your efficiency. Put a stop to it.

I clench my jaw. So what would you do? Huh? Would you just let her lie there, vulnerable, and wait for someone to finish what they started?

“Absolutely not. No. I’d make sure she is safe, Not by trying to control every angle. Not by trying to anticipate impossible outcomes. By focusing on her here, her now. By preventing harm in the immediate, not chasing shadows.”

I growl softly. And you think that’s enough?

“It’s the only thing that matters, he says firmly. Everything else is a distraction.”

My pulse hammers in my chest, anger, fear, and guilt warping together. I wanted to argue. I wanted to insist that my way would save her, that Derrick’s way was too passive. But he was right, and that fact burned.

I ran my hand across my face, exhaling slowly. My mindlink stayed open, and we circled each other silently, exchanging thoughts in a battle as tense and sharp as any physical confrontation. I felt his patience as a weight against my urgency. I felt his reasoning as a force that grounded me even as it frustrated me.

And yet, I could not give up control entirely. Not now. Not while Winter lay vulnerable, so close yet still needing protection.

I am Alpha for a reason.

Finally, I draw a slow breath. I will not set her as bait. That is final. But I will not stand aside either.

“Then what will you do?” he asks.

I will watch, train, and be ready. But she is not a tool for anyone’s plans, not mine, not yours.

His silence is heavy. For a long moment, I felt the tension of the mindlink thrum like a living thing between us, an invisible web of thought, desire, and conflict.

Then a flicker of approval, faint but unmistakable. “Very well brother.”

I exhaled, letting the tension flow out of me in a slow stream. But I could feel tension lurking beneath the surface, a warning that nothing was resolved.

The hallway creaks. The quiet moment is broken as I shift my stance, my eyes snapping toward the open doorway. Ariana. She’s on her feet headed for the hallway near where I was. Winter is still inside, with Derrick at her side, still leaning with that quiet confidence. The room is calm, too calm, a fragile peace that could shatter in an instant.

I felt Derrick’s mindlink presence push gently against mine, as if probing, teasing, testing. His calmness was infuriating.

I turned sharply, my gaze snapping back to him.

Do not push me now.

“I am not,” he replied, deceptively casual. “I am watching. Just as you are.”

I grit my teeth. This silent war of thoughts, and will was exhausting, but I could not yield. I could not let him think he understood, because he did not. Not at all. Not even a little bit.

I exhale, forcing myself to take a step back, letting the invisible threads of our mindlink ease slightly. My attention shifted toward the room. Ariana was going to enter. I felt the weight of responsibility settle heavily onto me. I put away all my worries for at least a while.

If I listened well enough, I could hear her breaths. She's tired, but she doesn't feel so scared anymore. That fragile moment of peace she has, I wanted it for her forever.

And I could not let it shatter.

I think about Derrick, our discussion, meeting his unwavering presence through the mindlink, and then turning fully toward the door as Ariana knocks the door. I calm my nerves, channeling my energy toward what mattered most.

Keeping her safe.

I would not fail her again. Not now. Not ever.

I allow Ariana to enter the room.

She pushes the door fully open and steps inside.