Chapter 6

Chapter 6
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Nolan’s eyes narrowed as he took the folder from the Beta’s hands, his fingers curling around the edges with more force than necessary. The thick paper crackled under the pressure, a warning in sound alone.
My pulse hammered in my ears like a drumbeat counting down to disaster.
Don’t read it. Don’t say it. Please just walk away.
He’d know everything.
He squinted, brow furrowing as his thumb sliding under the flap of the folder.
“What the hell is-”
A sharp knock shattered the moment.
It cracked through the tension like lightning splitting a tree, and I nearly sagged with relief.
Another Beta stepped into the office, his posture low and respectful. “Alpha, the Moonstone Pack representatives have arrived. They’re requesting your presence immediately. It sounds urgent.”
Nolan frowned, clearly annoyed by the interruption, but after a beat, he tossed the folder down on the desk with a loud thwack. The sound made me flinch, not like he noticed.
“Fine,” he muttered, jaw tight. “I’ll deal with this first.”
Thank the goddess.
He didn’t see it!
The moment he turned away, my breath left me in a shaky gust, the relief hitting me so hard it made my knees
weak.
But I wasn’t in the clear yet.
My eyes snapped to the folder, carelessly placed at the edge of his desk.
As Nolan strode toward the door, already lost in whatever political performance awaited him, my gaze landed on the still-steaming coffee cup perched near the stack of paperwork.
Without thinking, I moved. In two brisk strides, I was beside the desk, my hip brushing against the edge as I leaned casually against it with a soft thunk.
The coffee, dark and bitter-smelling, tilted then spilled in a rush, hissing as it splashed across the papers. The folder soaked instantly, the ink bleeding into a watery blur.
“Oh! Goddess, I’m so sorry,” I blurted, ducking down, dabbing the soaked pages in a clumsy flurry, only making things worse.’
Behind me, Nolan paused, but didn’t turn on it his way out.
“Just clean it up,” he muttered, distracted, irritated. Already halfway out the door.
1/2
Chapter 6
+25 Bonus
“I’ve got it,” I said quickly, keeping my voice level, though my heartbeat was wild. And just like that, he left.
The door clicked shut behind him, and I was alone, shaking, heart still racing. The papers were a murky mess now, the letters a murky swamp of ink. I smirked with pride.
He couldn’t know.
…He could never know.
Third-Person’s POV
Nolan didn’t care much for those test results; he had more important things to deal with. The Moonstone Pack had returned, and for once, they were coming to him.
He walked through the corridor with long strides, the weight of the day starting to gather at the base of his neck. He rolled his shoulders, shaking it off. He’d been Alpha too long to let emotions cling to him like this.
Beside him, the Beta was fidgeting. Clearing his throat. Opening his mouth only to shut it again. Like a child about to tattle. Nolan cut him off before he could speak. “If this is about Ellie again, save it.”
He hesitated. “Alpha, the medical results-”
“Can wait,” Nolan snapped, sharper than necessary. “You know how important this cooperation is. The Moonstone Pack controls two major trading routes and half the northern border. That alliance is worth more than another one of Ellie’s dramatics.”
The Beta fell silent, jaw tightening, eyes flicking ahead as they reached the doors to the meeting chamber. He didn’t speak again.
The room was formal, with stone walls hung with the banners of both their packs. Nolan’s staff had laid out tea and scrolls with the latest agreement drafts. Everything was prepared.
What he wasn’t prepared for were the men waiting inside.
Alaric. The famous Alpha of Moonstone. Cold, composed, draped in deep gray and gold, his brown and silver hair combed back, his face unreadable.
And beside him-Cassian. His son. Younger, broader in build, his eyes were bright, and expression gentle.
Before Nolan walked in, they were discussing the Rogue girl they had just encountered in the hallway.