Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

"Is it?" I did not look at her. I kept my eyes locked on Kaelen. "Alpha Kaelen, three months ago, a senior kitchen servant named Thomas was brutally dismissed and exiled for supposedly stealing silver from the dining hall. I noticed Miss Evelina reviewing high definition footage of the dining hall the night before his exile. That footage clearly showed another servant misplacing the silver. It would have totally exonerated Thomas. She permanently deleted the file because Thomas had refused to spy on the Beta's son for her."I paused to let the information sink in. I watched Kaelen's jaw tighten until I thought his teeth might shatter."Last year," I continued relentlessly. "A young Omega named Lily was driven out of this territory for alleged impropriety with a visiting diplomat. The hidden footage on that server proves Miss Evelina heavily encouraged the private interaction, coached Lily on exactly what to say to the diplomat, and then weaponized the recording to destroy the girl's l

Jaren tossed a small, black velvet pouch onto the mahogany table. Kaelen reached out and untied the strings. The heavy sapphire pendant tumbled out onto the polished wood. The diamonds caught the morning light, glittering like shards of ice."She had it concealed on her person," Jaren explained, his eyes fixed on the necklace. "She had it taped to the inside of her left thigh. Thad found it during the security pat down."Kaelen stared at the jewelry. He slowly shifted his gaze back to me. "She was planning to plant this physical evidence on you during the interrogation.""Yes," I confirmed without hesitation. "That was the obvious tactical play. Accuse me publicly, demand a search of my person or my quarters, discover the stolen goods, and secure my execution. She simply did not calculate for me compromising her surveillance network first.""Compromising," Jaren echoed my exact word. He looked at me with those deeply calculating eyes. I recognized the look instantly. It was the look o

I inclined my head and kept my eyes glued to the expensive rug. It was a required display of submission. "Alpha.""We have received formal complaints about your recent behavior," Kaelen continued. I heard the rustle of paper as he picked up a document. "These come from multiple senior members of the household staff. Apparently, you have been incredibly difficult to work with. They claim you are resistant to basic authority and actively spreading malicious rumors."The accusations were entirely fabricated. I kept my face perfectly neutral. "May I ask exactly who filed these official complaints?""Does it really matter?" Thad snapped. His voice was cutting and raw. He finally turned his head to look at me. There was a chaotic storm of emotion in his silver eyes. I saw pure anger, but there was also a deep, violent conflict brewing beneath the surface."It matters a great deal to me, Alpha Thad. If I am going to be severely punished, I would like to know the charges are coming from credi

Thad opened his mouth to argue, but the murderous look on Kaelen's face stopped him cold. Thad shot me one final, complicated glare before storming out of the room. He slammed the heavy door so hard the hinges groaned.I stayed on the floor. I kept one hand pressed against my throbbing windpipe, terrified of what would happen next."Go back to your quarters," Kaelen commanded. He refused to look down at me. "Stay inside your room until you receive further instructions.""Is the punishment still happening at noon?" I choked out the question."Go to your room, Cassia."There was a strange, jagged roughness in his voice. It was a tone I had never heard him use before. I forced myself to look up at his face. For the very first time in my miserable life, I saw something other than cold, calculated cruelty in Kaelen Vane's eyes.I saw deep exhaustion. I saw bitter conflict. I saw genuine pain.I scrambled to my feet and left the study without saying another word.The morning hours crawled b

I blinked in confusion. "What did you say?""I said you are entirely right," he repeated. His voice lost all its Alpha command. "I ordered the whipping. It was a massive mistake. I was heavily pressured by the council and my mother to restore order. But when I saw you standing in the study today... when I saw Thad wrap his hands around your throat..." He stopped speaking. His jaw clenched in disgust. "I could not let it happen. Whatever my mother demands, whatever pack protocol dictates, I simply could not stand there and watch them break you.""Why?" The question tore from my throat.Kaelen did not answer immediately. He closed the physical distance between us until he was standing inches away from my face. Being this close to him was intoxicating and terrifying. I could clearly see the microscopic gold flecks hidden in his silver irises. I could feel the intense, unnatural heat radiating from his chest."I do not know," Kaelen admitted in a rough, frustrated tone. "I completely fail