A clue

Kael woke up at midnight when everyone was asleep, including his brothers, so he could execute his plan.

He moved slowly and quietly out of the room, making sure not a single sound came from his steps.

Kael approached Beta Aldric's office, careful not to be seen or heard. When he reached Aldric’s study, he checked through the keyhole to see if anyone was still there. Luckily, he did, because Beta Aldric was still inside.

Kael was about to leave when he heard something that made him freeze.

“So what you’re saying is that Damien contacted you about their mate?” Beta Aldric said to someone on the line.

Kael stayed rooted to the spot, waiting to hear more.

“Has Kael contacted you recently?” Aldric asked.

“Wow, that means only Damien and Lucian have reached out to you,” Aldric confirmed.

“Anyway, my daughter will be yours when she’s done playing her part in making me the Alpha,” Aldric assured.

“Don’t forget to keep training your pack warriors consistently,” Aldric added, and that made Kael realize he was talking to another Alpha from a different pack.

“That Omega should be in New York, but none of them know that. If they ever contact you again, tell them she’s in your pack, and if they want her, they’ll have to figure out what Kael’s up to,” Aldric said firmly.

Kael immediately left the door and walked toward the exit of the packhouse. When he reached it, he didn’t bother checking if anyone was watching. Instead, he walked out with calm confidence so it wouldn’t look suspicious.

He didn’t go straight to the pack borders to do what he planned. Instead, he roamed around for a while so anyone watching would lose interest.

After a few minutes, he removed his clothes and left them in a corner before shifting into his wolf form…Cyrus.

Cyrus ran fast, and in no time, he was out of the pack territory. He didn’t stop or rest until he reached New York. Their pack was hidden on the outskirts, so the run wasn’t too long.

After several hours of running through the city, Cyrus caught a faint scent of his mate. He didn’t want to follow it yet, not when daylight was close. He turned back and ran toward the pack, even though he hated leaving.

By the time he returned, dawn had broken. He shifted back into his human form, picked up the clothes he had left behind, and dressed quickly.

Kael had found a clue, and he knew he was close to uncovering the truth.

To avoid suspicion, he went to the training ground for some morning exercises. By the time he finished, his body was covered in sweat from both the run and the workout.

When he returned to his room, his brothers were still asleep. He stripped off his damp clothes and placed them in the laundry basket for the maids to collect. Then he went straight into the bathroom to do his usual morning routine.

When he came out, he looked stunning. His scent filled the air, and water dripped from his damp hair onto his robe. He dried his hair, combed it neatly, and added a touch of product.

Afterward, he stepped into his walk-in closet and chose a turtleneck, a coat, and a pair of trousers.

When Kael finished dressing, he looked irresistibly handsome, and his cologne alone could drive any woman crazy.

“Ding-dong.” The chime of the doorbell echoed through the room.

Curious, Kael went to the parlor and peered through the keyhole. It was one of the maids, recognizable by her uniform.

He opened the door to let her in.

“Good morning, Alpha,” the maid greeted as she stepped inside. When Kael didn’t reply, she quickly continued, “Alpha, I came to clean the parlor and your room, and also to take out the laundry basket.”

Kael stood with his arms crossed, silently watching her.

“Okay,” he finally replied, his deep, husky voice sending a shiver down her spine.

His voice alone made her blush and drift into forbidden thoughts. Kael felt disgusted when he noticed the look in her eyes, so he turned away and went back to his room to wake his brothers.

“Wake up,” Kael said, standing over Damien and shaking him gently. Within moments, Damien stirred.

“What?” Damien’s voice came out groggy.

“There’s a maid in the parlor. Watch her so she doesn’t snoop around or try to find anything confidential,” Kael said, now standing upright.

“Okay, I’ll go,” Damien replied, getting out of bed.

“Wake Lucian too,” Kael added.

“Okay,” Damien muttered, his voice still husky. “Where are you going?” he asked, noticing Kael was already dressed.

“I’m going to check on something,” Kael answered, leaving the the room exit, before the maid came into view again.

He headed for the training ground once more, this time to inspect how the warriors were doing.

When Kael arrived, he was shocked by what he saw. Their training was sloppy, even with the captain present, none of them seemed serious.

As soon as they noticed Kael, everyone stopped to greet him.

“Good morning, Alpha,” they chorused, heads bowed, including the captain.

“Morning,” Kael replied.

“Alpha, may I ask what brings you here so early?” the captain inquired respectfully.

“I came to train, but since you were already using the grounds, I thought I’d wait,” Kael lied smoothly.

“Alpha, there’s plenty of space for you,” the captain offered.

“Don’t worry, I’ll train later,” Kael replied calmly.

“Okay, Alpha,” the captain said, and Kael gave a brief nod before walking away. He made a mental note to bring this matter to his father.

Something told him this disorganization was Magnus’s doing. He also had a strange feeling that someone was watching him while he spoke with the captain…and he was right.

The moment Kael left, Magnus appeared and approached the captain.

“Watch Kael. I find him suspicious, and I think he’s up to something,” Magnus ordered before walking away.

One thing was certain, if Magnus wanted to make things harder for Kael, he would turn everyone against him, even his brothers.