The Royal Alpha

Chapter 23: Loopholes

SIERRA

I remain frozen where I stand.

He left.

No—he left because of me.

I rejected him last night, and now the memory rearranges itself with cruel clarity. That gentle kiss on my forehead hadn't been affection. It had been goodbye. I had mistaken restraint for tenderness, mistaking his dignity for reassurance.

I had pushed him away.

"He did not leave because of you, pup."

Elder Raoul's voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts, sharp and precise, as though he can trace the very path my mind has taken.

"I can sense the direction your thoughts are heading," he continues evenly. "And it would be extremely unwise to brand your mate as a coward who fled because he could not face rejection."

His words do nothing to ease the guilt coiling in my chest. If anything, they make it heavier.

"If you wish to take a day off to collect yourself," the elder adds when I fail to respond, "you may do so. We can resume your training tomorrow."

I consider the offer, but my thoughts refuse to settle. I shake my head as if that alone might clear the chaos, but the weight remains lodged firmly inside me. If I return to my room, these thoughts will only grow louder, sharper. So I make my decision.

"I'll stay," I say quietly. "I want to work."

"As you wish, pup." He gestures to the heavy desk to my right. "Your task for today is to study all the files placed there. They document the pack dynamics of every major pack in this country. You must understand the alpha and beta bloodlines thoroughly if you wish to survive as a dominant she-wolf."

I nod and move toward the chair. As my fingers brush the desk and the thick stack of files, I feel the faint layer of dust coating them—untouched, waiting. Without realizing it, I glance back at Elder Raoul, searching for reassurance. He answers with a single nod and a faint, knowing smile.

I sit.

I inhale.

Fenris's scent floods my lungs, familiar and grounding, and my wolf finally eases. Only then do I realize what has been gnawing at me all day—his absence. Sitting in his chair, surrounded by his presence, gives me an unexpected sense of belonging. Gratitude softens my chest, and I smile at the elder.

He did this on purpose.

He made me his apprentice because he knew—because he understood—that my wolf would settle here, in Fenris's space.

I take another deep breath, then reach for the first file.

The moment I open it, a small smile tugs at my lips.

Samara Pack.

My pack.

I flip through the pages until I find the family tree.

Tatiana falls into step beside me as we walk toward the dining hall.

"So," she asks lightly, "how was your day?"

"It was... good," I reply, though Fenris never quite leaves my thoughts. "Elder Raoul appointed me as his apprentice."

Her steps falter. "What? But Fenris is his apprentice."

"He left the school early this morning," I say carefully. "Family issues."

I don't want her to think—goddess forbid—that I drove her best friend away.