*Ali POV* “Alpha Wade?” I ask as I watch him closely. His demeanor is off and he seems to ponder something hard as he stares daggers at the closed door. He looks at me and then his eyes wander away, searching at his desk for the same paper he has been staring at for the last minute. He can’t bring himself to even look at me. I try not to let the sting of it hurt so much.“Ali. I have a question for you. And I need the truth.” He says, placing the paper down and turning the full weight of his heated gaze to me.His eyes pin me in my place and I hold my breath, waiting for the question.“Did you meet Alpha Liam in the woods today?” He asks softly. I can see a tinge of pink run up his cheeks. He is embarrassed to ask me. “No, Alpha,” I answer honestly. Hell, I want to discuss everything with him. But until I know what’s in that manilla folder, I can’t bring myself to admit that I am doing anything wrong. I am not going against the pack, nor am I endangering him. I am doing spy work,

After Liam left, Wade went to his office, where he spent the rest of the day making phone calls and doing alpha things. Only emerging to grab dinner and then lock himself back up. I can feel him erecting his proverbial walls. Not only has he locked me out of his emotions and mind, but he is also now trying to create a physical distance between us.I know a heavy conversation is coming about Liam, about my sneaking around collecting information. Yet I don’t see how it’s any different from what Francis does. Wade doesn’t know who he talks to and sneaks off to meet. Hell, he doesn’t even know who Francis uses to collect the intel he gathers, yet Wade trusts him. Wade emerges from the office sauntering past me and straight to the stairs. I follow behind him and stop short when I see him walk into his room and close the door. My heart sinks realizing he won't be staying in my room tonight. I mean, did I expect him to keep sleeping on the floor of my room when he has his own plush bed in hi

*Ali POV* Wade must have snuck in early in the morning, as I can see the calm rising and falling of the blankets on the ground. I have a strong desire to go over to him, crawl in and just be next to him, but I know it’s inappropriate. Not that blurting out to him I love him was all that appropriate either, but it happened, so there isn’t much I can do about it now.  I quickly get dressed in my usual guardian attire, loading my vest and holsters with their trusty steel companions. By the time I walk out of the walk-in closet Wade is up and moving swiftly as folds his blankets. When he notices me, he offers me a tight-lipped smile. “Kane just linked me. Corbin is already at the border. He would like a moment to speak with you before the committee arrives.” He informs me.  I can see his hesitation at Corbin’s request to see me alone. The question he asks with his eyes but verbally remains silent is the same question I’ve been trying to avoid an

*Wade POV* Corbin doesn’t move other than to breathe while we wait for Ali to re-emerge from the hallway with Samuel, hopefully with him a little more in check. If Samuel doesn’t keep his cool, he will scare Corbin away. Then all the tedious planning I have undergone with Samuel and the committee will go down the drain. I intended to tell Ali last night what the plan was, hell I intended to tell her quite a few things. But between Francis needing me and the annoying check-ins from Samuel, I didn’t get the chance to squeeze any real-time in with her that would have been appropriate for sharing.  Then again, when exactly is the best time to bring up the time she was going behind my back meeting with the rogue king? Or how the meeting she set up is actually a ruse to get him here so he can be captured and questioned. There are too many missing alphas for this issue to be just about trusting her and her instincts. My instincts

The moment I’m in my room, I trudge to the bathroom. I stare at my reflection, contemplating my options. My face is smeared with blood and tears that I hadn’t known were escaping. This seems to be a recurring problem lately, these leaky eyes of mine. I can still hear Wade’s fists, wet thuds landing on my uncle’s face. The sloshing sounds of the flesh and blood echo in my ears and make my bile rise again. That’s my family. My only family. I may not have forgiven him yet, but we share blood and memories. Memories of my parents and birthdays that I could never speak about out loud.  I have had Samuel, and though he is giving and kind to me, he isn’t my father, and he isn’t my uncle. He is the man who saved me and trained me. He never tucked me in or sang me happy birthday. He didn’t make me cookies because I failed my spelling test and nearly burned the house down. No, that was all Uncle Corbin. The same deformed bloody sack of flesh hanging