The Royal Alpha

Chapter 29: The Claiming Ceremony [Part 1]

"Tchyo zaga 'lima..." Connor mutters under his breath, the curse spilling out in our native tongue as he paces a tight circle in front of me. His agitation is palpable, sharp enough that I don't interrupt him. I wait—arms folded, back straight—until the tension in his shoulders finally eases.

He drags a hand through his hair, fingers catching at the ends as if the motion alone might pull clarity from the chaos in his head. When he finally looks at me, resignation shadows his expression.

"We have a traitor in our midst, Sierra," he says quietly. "You shouldn't be asking questions about your mate when the world doesn't even know he is your mate."

"I need to know," I insist, refusing to retreat. "Tatiana and Aztec are the same age. They attended the same classes. Then why does Aztec have information about Fenris that Tatiana doesn't?"

The question has been gnawing at me for weeks—ever since Fenris left. Elder Raoul had warned me not to dig. But Raoul is gone now, and the silence he left behind is too loud to ignore.

Connor's voice drops to a whisper. "You suspect Elder Amaruq?"

"I do," I admit. "But I don't believe he'd betray the others so openly."

Connor arches a brow, unimpressed. "That wolf is unstable, Sierra. Now answer my questions."

I nod once.

"Did Alexandria ever try to get into your room?"

"Yes," I reply. "She barged in while Tatiana was there. It was the night Fenris left. She asked about me. About him."

"And did you give her anything?" he presses. "Any hint that you missed Fenris? That you regretted rejecting him?"

"No," I say immediately. "She doesn't even know Fenris is my mate. She doesn't know I rejected him. The only thing she knows is that I was heartbroken about Aztec and Avery."

Connor exhales slowly.

"That's the point," he says. "Someone planted the idea in her mind. Someone convinced her Fenris might be your mate—and now they're feeding Aztec half-truths. Aztec trusts you, Sierra. If he learns something new about Fenris, he'll share it with you without thinking."

A chill creeps down my spine.

"They're baiting me," I whisper.

"Yes," Connor confirms. "They want you to reveal the bond—accidentally or deliberately—in exchange for more information. Once it's public, it can be used."

"But why?" I ask, struggling to connect the pieces. "Why would my bond with Fenris matter so much to someone?"

Connor's gaze turns distant, thoughtful. "Because not everyone was happy when Fenris was adopted into the pack. His true heritage is unknown. For all we know..." He hesitates, then continues, "he could be the son of a rogue. Someone who could be turned later."

The words echo in my head, heavy and unsettling.

A rogue's son.

I study Connor's face, expecting regret—but he seems lost in thought, chasing possibilities rather than judgments.

I murmur a quick goodbye and head back toward my dormitory, my steps slow and unsteady.

How did things become this complicated?

My hand rises unconsciously to the back of my neck, fingers brushing over the mark hidden beneath my hair. I remember the first time I felt it—one night after a nightmare, scrubbing my skin raw in the washroom, desperate to rid myself of the lingering sense of violation. I hadn't been able to see it, so I'd woken Tatiana, asking her to describe it.