JEOPARDY: The Cursed Soldier.

24. The mysteries and Orders.

"Alexander!"

The sound and the resulting echo of his full name spit out in that tone froze Alex in his tracks. It was bad enough that his name had left her lips. But the fact that she had used his full name was worse.

Either way, Alex and Markos—both clad in their brown Epsilon uniform—turned and faced the approaching menace of power that was their Alpha.

Sienna was in her signature charcoal suit and brown wedged boots, but her hair was unusually free and curly, such that it teased the broadness of her shoulder blades. A quick sweep of her face reminded Alex of the reason for the change.

His uncle was in the house.

The only time their Alpha made any sort of effort with her looks was when her husband was in residence. The curly hair, the glossy and redder lips, and gods know what products she used to make her face softer and younger, said as much.

Except there was nothing soft about the way she strode his way, with a dangerous fire in her brown eyes and two looming, sneering giants on either side of her.

"Alpha!" Alex and Markos bowed their heads in unison. Both hyperaware of the trouble Alex or both of them were in.

"Markos, I want to speak to Alexander." The glower Sienna flicked Markos' way was enough for him to hear the unspoken 'alone', bow again and throw a peek Alex's way before he marched away.

Alex focused his gaze on his Alpha with a heaving gulp.

The she-wolf in front of him was not his aunt. Sure, she was married to his only uncle, who treated him like a son. But all his life, Sienna had never treated Alex like anything but another subject under her thorny heel.

A subject she couldn't kill, but a subject nonetheless.

Ji-won often joked about how Alex was the luckiest wolf in their group. Since he only one who could be sure that no matter what happened, he might be tortured, but he would never be killed. The way so many of the wolves in that pack had been. The way most wolves in the pack were in constant peril of being.

Death sentences and disorienting disappearances were common in Lunarheart. Just like it was common knowledge that both resulted from displeasing their Alpha.

Alex had heard stories about Lunarheart before Sienna became its Alpha. They said that it was like a vast green forest filled with the sounds of singing birds, chittering insects, fresh air, and sweet fruits. They said that laughter had painted the walls of the castles. While smiles radiated through the face of every wolf. Children of kappas, omegas, and the royals alike ran and played through the halls and all over the field.

They said Lunarheart was a dream. A paradise.

Not the hell it was now. Stuffed with bitterness and reeking of terror.

"Yes, Alpha?" Alex asked, keeping the trepidation off his face and voice. He raised his eyes a millimeter to hers. Hoping that the Crawford green would remind her who he was. Or rather, who he was related to.

"Your uncle has mentioned something about you digging into Anthony Hernandez." Sienna maintained their locked gaze and used the connection to dig deep into his soul with her piercing brown irises. A shiver crawled down his spine. Sweat trickled the back of his neck. "Is it because of Kayla?"

Gale, the Kayla-obsessed-and-overprotective jerk, whined and crawled at their bond the moment he heard Kayla's name. Angry at Alex for calling their Alpha's attention to Kayla and begging him to protect her.

Alex shut his eyes and broke the link into his soul. But every physical part of him felt the suppressing power of his Alpha, making Gale whine harder.

"I have asked you a question."