Chapter 48

Amelia POV

I sat with Emma in the little break area, nursing cheap coffee that tasted like dirt.

She was reviewing notes on her tablet while I tried not to hunch in on myself.

She glanced up. "You know the rumors about you and Richard are making the rounds in the office, right?"

I set the coffee down too hard. "Of course they are."

She held my gaze. "It's not a big issue. No one has actual proof of anything, and nothing has leaked to the public. But we have to be careful."

I snorted. "Careful? Like with the fallback plan? We both know someone had to leak it internally. I checked every system log, there was no hacking."

Emma's mouth tightened. "I know. And it doesn't help that the House wants someone to blame. You make a convenient target."

I looked away, fingers clenching. "Yeah. Story of my life."

She sighed and closed her tablet. "Just try to keep your head down today. Please."

I didn't promise her anything.

I adjusted my jacket, ignoring the way my hands trembled. Security drills were supposed to reassure the House by showing coordination, discipline, and readiness for attack.

With everything going on, the fallback plan leak, the rumors, the strained alliances, these drills were now more important than ever. If the Pack saw us divided or sloppy, they'd lose faith in Richard's leadership. This wasn't just practice; it was politics. Failure meant looking weak to allies and enemies alike.

Security drills were supposed to show strength. Instead they felt like another test I'd already failed. The staff didn't hide their glances. I heard the whispers before Richard even arrived. "She only got the strategist role because she warms his bed." "No wonder the fallback plan leaked."

I swallowed it down and barked orders anyway. Richard stood beside me, posture rigid. We reviewed evacuation routes and coordinated squad movement. I had to lean close to show him my map edits. His arm brushed mine. He didn't move away. I felt his breath on my ear when he corrected one of my callouts. Heat surged through me, unwanted and furious.

"Focus," he growled. His eyes flicked to the staff watching us. I bit back my retort. He was right. But I hated the way it felt like an accusation.

We started the drills with staff moving through the halls, checking security doors, and reviewing maps. I barked instructions about lockdown routes and evacuation protocols, Richard countered with adjustments for guard rotations and safe room coordination. We reviewed who would escort which Pack elders, if they were in the building, and checked the comms signals. Staff were tense, snapping at each other.

The drills were supposed to show the House was prepared for attack, but everyone knew it was also a test of our loyalty. Halfway through the drills, we lost track of Jenny and Adam. Simon, who was supposed to be going over emergency injury protocols, was nowhere to be seen. When we went looking for them, we tried a side corridor. Richard opened a supply closet door to check. I pushed in behind him. The door slammed shut. The handle rattled. Locked. My heart stuttered.

"Great," I snapped. "Perfect."

He cursed under his breath and jiggled the handle. The space was too tight. Shelves pressed into my back. His chest was inches from mine. I tried not to breathe too hard. Tried not to notice the way his eyes flicked down. The way my breath caught.

He cleared his throat. "Stop glaring. You're the one who pushed in."

I glared harder. "Because you don't know how to clear a room properly."

His lips twitched. "I know how to clear a room just fine. You're the one who can't wait to be alone with me."

My mouth dropped. “Pretty sure that’s your issue, not mine."

He looked away. His jaw worked. "We should call for help."

"Oh, sure. Let's tell everyone we're stuck in a closet together. That'll kill the rumors."

He winced. "They're already saying worse."

I felt like he'd punched me. I pressed myself back against the shelf, trying to get any distance at all. His eyes dropped again before he jerked them up to my face. I crossed my arms over my chest. His pupils dilated.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're trying to decide if you want to kiss me or kill me."

He huffed. "Maybe both."

Silence pressed in. I hated how my body reacted to him, how aware I was of every breath. He finally turned, banging on the door. Eventually Simon's muffled voice reached us. The door swung open, and Simon raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Shut up," I snapped, storming out past him.

Later, Richard cornered me by the planning table. He didn't meet my eyes at first. His voice was stiff. "I'm heading south to inspect the new facility. I want you with me."

My heart stuttered. "Why?"

He looked up. His eyes searched mine like he wanted to find something. Or confirm something. "Because you're my strategist. And because you need to see what we're fighting for."

I swallowed hard. "Right. Of course."

I heard whispers behind us from junior staffers. "Sneaking off together again." "Bet that's not the only inspection happening."

My fists clenched. He heard them too. His jaw ticked. But he didn't correct them. He didn't say anything at all. That hurt worse than the rumors.

Richard POV

I watched her leave the courtyard, hair loose in the wind. She looked furious. She always did these days. And I couldn't blame her.

My chest ached. I'd seen the staff glaring at her. I'd heard the rumors. I'd seen the way she went quiet when they mocked her. But what could I do? Threaten every single one of them? I'd done it before. It hadn't helped.

She'd been promoted because she was brilliant. Because she could read those old treaties like no one else. Because she saved us from Crosthorn's trap. Because she saw things I missed. Because she was mine.

But she was also the daughter of a traitor.

The words in those council files haunted me. Exiled for treason. Unnatural alliances. Diplomacy gone bad. The blacked-out lines. The fear in the margins. I wanted to believe they were lying. That they buried the truth because it embarrassed them. That she was innocent. That she was just Amelia.

But I didn't know. And that ignorance burned.

Elsa's message echoed in my mind. I can help you figure it out.

I wasn't even sure what she meant exactly, but I wondered if it was about this. About Amelia. About what I'd read. The possibility I didn't want to name.

My stomach twisted. I'd never ask her for anything again. I'd rather walk blind into the fire.

That's why I needed Amelia with me. The southern facility was important. The supply lines there could decide a war. But more than that, I wanted to see her work. Hear her talk strategy. Watch how she reacted under pressure. Not just because she was my strategist. Because she was the biggest threat to the House if I was wrong about her. And the only chance it had if I was right.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. My wolf paced restlessly. It didn't want to suspect her. It wanted to protect her. Claim her. But I wasn't sure I had that right anymore. Not until I knew what she was hiding.

I exhaled hard and straightened. I'd ask her to come with me on this inspection trip. I'd tell her it was for strategy planning, but really I was going to figure out what was going on. Watch her, test her, see if she was lying to me. Even if I hated myself for it.