Elias stirred just before dawn, his body still, but his mind sharp. Years of discipline had taught him to wake naturally at the lightest shift in the atmosphere, and today was no different.
The guards were still outside. He could hear their breathing, the occasional shuffle of boots, the weight of their presence pressing against the door like an unspoken warning.
The Alpha was watching.
Elias kept his movements slow, deliberate. He sat up, stretching lazily as if his body ached from restless sleep. He rubbed his eyes, blinking blearily in the dim light, playing his role perfectly.
Weak. Helpless. The fragile Omega they expected him to be.
He pushed himself out of bed, padding over to the washbasin. The water was cool against his skin, and as he splashed it over his face, he allowed his mind to settle.
He needed a plan.
The Alpha's interest in him was a dangerous variable. He had counted on being overlooked, on slipping through the cracks while he worked from the shadows. But now, the Alpha was paying attention, and that made everything more complicated.
Elias dried his face and sat by the small table, hands folded in his lap. He had a few choices before him.
He could try to ease the Alpha's suspicions—play up his frailty even more, act more fearful, more submissive. But would that be enough? The Alpha wasn't a fool. He had already seen through Elias's first layer of deception.
Which meant he needed to give him something else to focus on.
A distraction.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in," Elias called softly, letting a slight tremor enter his voice. Just enough to sound uncertain. Hesitant.
The door creaked open, revealing a soldier in standard uniform. His expression was unreadable, but Elias didn't miss the way his eyes flickered over him, assessing.
"The Alpha wants to see you."
Elias nodded, standing slowly. He kept his posture slightly hunched, his hands close to his sides as if he didn't know what to do with them. It was a subtle detail, but an effective one—people expected Omegas to be nervous, uncertain in the presence of authority.
And Elias had spent years perfecting the act.
The soldier led him down the corridor, the other guards falling in step behind them. There were more than usual.
How interesting.
They walked in silence, the weight of their presence a constant reminder that he was being watched, studied.
Good. Let them watch.
They reached the war room, and the soldier opened the heavy wooden doors, stepping aside to let Elias enter.
The Alpha stood at the far end of the room, leaning over a map-covered table, his fingers trailing lazily along its surface. He didn't look up immediately, but Elias knew better than to think he hadn't noticed his arrival.
The Alpha was many things, but inattentive was not one of them.
Elias lowered his head slightly, just enough to sell the image of a cautious Omega. He stepped forward, careful, quiet, stopping a respectful distance away.
For a long moment, the Alpha said nothing. Then, without looking up, he spoke.
"Sleep well?"
Elias hesitated—just a fraction too long—before nodding. "Yes, Alpha."
The Alpha's fingers tapped against the table. "You don't look like it."
Elias ducked his head further. "The guards outside my door… they made me nervous."
The Alpha chuckled, finally lifting his gaze. His piercing eyes locked onto Elias, studying him with the same sharp intensity as before.
"Nervous?" he echoed. "And why would my men standing guard make you nervous?"
Elias swallowed. "It reminded me of… before."
He let his voice waver, let the words trail off just enough to leave an unspoken story hanging in the air. A story the Alpha could fill in however he wished.
The Alpha leaned back, arms crossing over his chest. "Before?"
Elias didn't answer right away. He let the silence stretch, let uncertainty flicker across his features. He shifted his weight slightly, glancing toward the floor before murmuring, "When my parents sent me away."
A partial truth. Just enough to sound real.
The Alpha's expression didn't change, but something shifted in the air between them.
"You say that as if you weren't sent here willingly."
Elias exhaled softly. "I wasn't."
Another truth. Another carefully chosen piece of the puzzle.
The Alpha studied him for a long moment before stepping away from the table, closing the distance between them with slow, measured strides.
Elias remained still. He did not flinch. But he let his breathing quicken, just slightly. Let his fingers twitch at his sides.
The Alpha stopped a few paces away, tilting his head. "You're an interesting one, Elias."
Elias let out a small, uncertain sound. "I-I don't understand, Alpha."
The Alpha smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "You will."
A chill ran down Elias's spine, but he forced himself to remain steady.
The Alpha was playing a game.
And Elias would have to be very careful about how he played back.