(Remi’s POV)

Smoke still clung to the air like a ghost when Atlas dragged me into his quarters.

The camp outside was chaos,injured wolves crying out, healers rushing between bodies, the metallic stench of blood thick enough to choke on. But in here, the silence was worse.

He slammed the door shut with one hand and turned on me.

The heat of the battle hadn’t faded from him. His shirt was torn, streaked with soot and crimson. His eyes,those molten silver eyes,burned brighter than the fire crackling behind him.

“Sit.”

His voice wasn’t a suggestion.

I didn’t move. “I’m fine.”

“Sit.”

That tone,low, commanding,rattled through my bones. I sank onto the edge of the chair near the fire, refusing to look up. My palms were still shaking. I could feel the phantom pulse of power beneath my skin, the faint shimmer that had flared when I healed the warrior earlier.

If he saw that,if anyone did,it would all be over.

Atlas paced in front of me, his boots heavy against the floorboards. “Those rogues weren’t random,” he said, more to himself than me. “They came straight for the camp’s heart. Straight for you.”

“That’s ridiculous,” I said flatly. “Why would they be after me?”

He stopped pacing. “That’s what I’d like to know.”

I met his gaze, forcing my face blank. “Maybe they were just desperate. Maybe they smelled weakness.”

His jaw flexed. “You’re not weak. I watched you fight.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m special.”

“Then explain the way you moved out there,” he snapped. “You didn’t hesitate once. You fought like you’d done it your whole life. Healers don’t fight like that, Remi.”

My chest tightened. “I told you before,I learned to defend myself.”

He let out a humorless laugh. “Defend yourself? You took down a rogue twice your size without shifting.”

“I got lucky.”

He stalked closer, eyes narrowing. “Stop lying.”

“I’m not,”

He slammed his hand against the wall beside me. The sound made me flinch. “You are. You’ve been lying since the day I found you half-dead at my border.”

The firelight threw jagged shadows across his face,anger and confusion etched deep into every line.

I swallowed hard, my voice low. “Believe what you want.”

“Don’t test me, Remi,” he growled. “I can smell when someone’s hiding something.”

“Then maybe your nose is broken.”

His lips twitched,half amusement, half frustration. “You think you can joke your way out of this?”

“I’m not joking.”

He leaned in, close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my cheek. “Those rogues called you by a name before they died. You froze when you heard it.”

I said nothing.

He stepped even closer, his voice a whisper now. “Who is Lunara?”

My breath caught. “I,I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do.”

His gaze searched my face for something,truth, guilt, anything,but I gave him nothing. Years of running had taught me how to wear a blank expression like armor.

Finally, he pulled back, pacing again, frustration simmering beneath every movement. “You could make this easier, you know. You could just tell me who you are.”

“I already did,” I said quietly. “A nobody.”

He turned sharply. “No. Nobodies don’t glow when they touch dying men.”

I clenched my fists in my lap. “You must’ve imagined it.”

He stared at me like he could see straight through me. “You forget, I’m an Alpha. I don’t imagine things.”

The silence that followed was unbearable. I could hear the crack of firewood, the faint hum of the night beyond the walls.

Then his voice came, lower,calm, dangerous. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll find out myself.”

My stomach twisted. “Meaning?”

“I’ll start with Moon. She treated your wounds. Maybe she noticed something strange,your blood, your healing rate,”

“Don’t you dare drag her into this.”

He tilted his head, studying me. “Protective, are we?”

“She’s done nothing wrong.”

“Neither have I,” he said evenly. “But you’re making me act like I have.”

I stood abruptly, meeting his gaze. “I’ve told you everything there is to tell.”

“No, you’ve told me everything you want me to believe.”

The fire flared brighter, throwing light across his face. His eyes caught the glow,raw, feral, searching. “Why do you hide it?”

“Hide what?”

“Whatever it is burning under your skin. I feel it every time you’re near me.”

I froze, pulse hammering. “You’re imagining things again.”

He smirked, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Then why does my wolf lose control every time you walk into a room?”

The air thickened, the tension between us palpable. I forced a breath past my throat. “That’s not my problem.”

“Maybe not,” he said softly, “but it’s becoming mine.”

He moved closer, slow, deliberate, his steps echoing. “You think you can hide forever? From me? From them?”

I backed away until my spine hit the wall. “I’m not hiding.”

“You are,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper now. “And I’m going to find out why.”

“Why does it matter to you?”

His hand came up, brushing a strand of hair from my face, his eyes locked on mine. “Because I don’t like mysteries in my territory. Especially ones that make my wolf want to tear down every wall between us.”

My heart pounded so loud I was sure he could hear it. “You’re crossing a line.”

“Maybe,” he said, leaning in, “but you keep standing on it.”

The tension snapped like a wire between us. I pushed past him, my voice shaking. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He caught my wrist,not hard, but enough to stop me. “You’re right,” he said quietly. “I don’t. But I will.”

I yanked free, glaring at him. “Try all you want, Atlas. You’ll find nothing.”

He smiled faintly,dark, almost predatory. “Oh, I’ll find something. I always do.”

His words hung in the air long after I stormed out.

The night outside was colder than I remembered. The scent of smoke and blood still lingered. Every step back to my quarters felt heavier.

Moon caught me halfway there, worry etched into her face. “Remi, are you alright? The Alpha,”

“I’m fine,” I cut her off, forcing a smile. “Just tired.”

She hesitated. “He looked furious when he came back from the field.”

“I’ve seen worse.”

“Remi…” she said softly. “You should be careful. He doesn’t look at you like a normal Alpha looks at his pack.”

I looked away. “I know.”

Because every time Atlas looked at me, it felt like he saw everything I was trying to bury.

That night, I lay awake long after the camp went silent. His voice echoed in my mind,low, unyielding, dangerous.

“I’ll find out who you are.”

I pressed my hand against my chest, over the faint crescent-shaped scar still hidden beneath my tunic.

He would.

He’d dig until he uncovered the truth.

And when he did,

There’d be no hiding left.

Only war.