Chapter 3

Kael came back before noon, just as he had said he would.

I was sitting against the pillows with a magazine open in my lap. I had been staring at the same page for several minutes, but when I heard his footsteps, I lowered my eyes to it.

"How do you feel?"

"A little better than this morning."

Kael walked to the window and pulled the curtains wider. Sunlight spilled into the room, giving me a clearer view of the iron gate outside.

There were two more guards standing beside it.

I closed the magazine.

"I want to walk around."

He turned.

"Now?"

"Just inside the house."

His eyes rested on my face for a moment.

"Don't go far."

"I know."

Kael came over and draped a light cardigan around my shoulders.

"If you get dizzy, come back immediately."

I nodded.

He didn't come with me.

The hallway was quieter than usual.

A guard stood near the stairs. He lowered his head when I passed.

"Luna."

"Why are there so many people here today?"

"The Alpha increased patrols."

"Did something happen?"

He hesitated.

"It's for your safety."

I kept walking.

Downstairs, I went to the sitting room first and stood by the window for a while.

Someone was stationed near the eastern path.

There was another guard by the northern side door.

I headed west.

No one usually watched the storage corridor, but today a chair had been placed outside the door. A man sat there with a communicator near his boot.

He stood as soon as he saw me.

"Do you need something?"

"I was looking for a few old things."

"I can get them for you."

"That's fine."

I paused, then turned back.

He didn't follow.

When I passed the study, I slipped inside.

I used to handle some Pack affairs here. Several older terminals were still stored in the cabinet along the wall.

I closed the door and sat at the one farthest from the entrance.

My access code worked.

So did the second level.

I opened the recent internal files.

Training schedules.

Supply records.

Patrol changes.

Routine notices.

Then one unpublished file caught my eye.

[Luna Medical Contingency.]

My fingers stopped over the trackpad.

I opened it.

The first page listed public events to cancel if my condition suddenly worsened.

The second covered temporary reassignment of my duties.

The third listed people who should be notified in advance.

Farther down was a draft statement already prepared for release.

One line read:

[Luna Mara Veyne remained under close medical care following the accident.]

A blank space waited beneath it for a date.

I looked at the lower corner of the screen.

Created six days ago.

Six days ago, I had still been walking downstairs for meals.

I went back.

Another transfer document had been created eight days ago.

Eight days ago, Kael had told me I was recovering faster than expected.

My hand settled against the edge of the desk.

My fingertips had gone cold.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway.

I closed the file and switched the screen back to routine Pack notices.

The footsteps stopped outside.

The handle moved.

I stayed where I was.

The door opened.

One of the Pack members responsible for the household stood there.

"Luna?"

"Yes?"

"The Alpha asked me to check on you."

"I'm only sitting for a while."

His gaze flicked toward the terminal.

"Would you like someone to take you back upstairs?"

"No."

I shut down the screen and stood.

I didn't return to the bedroom.

The west staircase was just ahead.

The air grew colder as I went down. Old Pack portraits lined the walls. At the bottom of the last turn was the door leading toward the storage building.

It was locked.

I tried the handle again.

Nothing.

A new electronic lock had been installed beside it.

It hadn't been there yesterday.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

I let go of the handle and headed back upstairs.

By the time I reached the bedroom, my breathing had turned uneven.

I opened the door.

Kael was sitting on the edge of the bed.

A silver hair clip rested in his palm.

I had wedged it against the edge of the drawer before leaving that morning.

Now it was in his hand.

I stopped in the doorway.

Kael looked up.

"Is this yours?"

"Yes."

He rubbed his thumb across the metal.

"It was on the floor."

I looked at his hand.

"Maybe it fell this morning."

Kael placed the clip on the nightstand.

"Where did you go?"

The room was quiet.

Outside, the courtyard gate closed with a dull metallic sound.

My hand stayed around the doorknob.

Kael watched me.

Then he asked again.

"Where were you?"