The sky was dark and filled with glittering stars. The half moon illuminated the night. It was deep into the night and the first light of dawn was about to break over the horizon.

A dark figure raced through the garden and in a second a massive black wolf appeared in the corridor leading to Yuki’s room. Kieran stood at the end of the corridor. His mind was a complete mess.

Everything that had happened over the past forty-eight hours flashed through his mind. She had barely been here for a day but her scent was already thick in the air. His brows pulled together. Kieran was always the calm type who barely lost his composure.

Sensing an anomaly like a bug in perfect code left him unsettled. After a while he dragged his gaze away and moved forward, halfway shifting back into his naked human form. Halfway down the hallway he ran into a figure that instantly ruined his already bad mood.

It was his younger brother Kaden. Kaden was leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and his gaze locked on the corridor Kieran had just come from.

He looked like he was waiting for something, more specifically for Kieran. Kieran’s fist clenched as he stared at the face so similar to his own. Kaden and Kieran shared a lot of similarities, the main differences being the slight height advantage Kaden had and the fiery presence he had cultivated from his ruthless time on the battlefield.

"Didn’t expect to see you here this early," Kieran said calmly. Kaden’s expression remained calm but his gaze flickered toward Yuki’s room.

"Same here, brother," Kaden said. "I heard she was a junior under you. Do you..."

Kieran did not let Kaden finish his statement. "There is nothing," Kieran snapped. His tone was sharper than intended. Kaden frowned, sensing something was off.

"Nothing?" Kaden arched his brows. "It is weird for you to lose your temper, dear brother." He sneered and Kieran felt a chill run down his spine, realising what had just happened.

Kaden stepped forward. He was a head higher than Kieran, though the difference was barely noticeable. "Are you sure there is nothing? I had to send Eloise back home crying because you shoved her off and ran into the woods." Kaden said, remembering the state he had seen Eloise in.

She had been a complete mess. Kaden had not believed it at first but seeing Kieran spend hours racing through the woods instead of heading to his room and then going straight to hers made his dislike for Yuki grow along with his suspicion.

"What are you doing here, Kieran?" He lowered his voice. Kieran was taken aback for a moment. His fist clenched. There was no way he could admit he had accidentally kissed a drunk Yuki or that he had thought of her while kissing Eloise.

Kaden was the most protective of Eloise. The moment he admitted to anything that defiled their bond, a punch would be coming straight to his face.

"She was just a junior," Kieran said with a firm voice. "As for earlier, I was exhausted about everything and my mind was out of it. I will apologise to Eloise later."

Kaden’s brows furrowed. He did not look particularly convinced by Kieran’s explanation but he could not push further. He knew Kieran well enough to know he was the type who knew how to keep his mouth shut. "And why are you here?" he asked quietly.

Kieran glanced back at Yuki’s room. His voice was even as he spoke. "Something is off about her. I do not know what for sure but it leaves me unsettled," he explained. Kaden’s frown deepened, not because the words sounded suspicious but because he felt something similar.

A deep sense of dread and uncertainty had settled over him ever since he had barely noticed Yuki’s blonde figure and those confused emerald eyes. He had noticed her even when he did not want to.

"There cannot be much to her. She barely has any true rank and is just a medical student with no real healing skills," Kaden stated. Kieran did not argue because it was true.

Yuki was a medical student but she was not an actual healer. She could not use actual healing magic.

"It is better to forget it. If anything unexpected happens, Killian can handle it. He is the only one who can stand a chance against Alexander," Kaden hissed, unable to call his father Dad. Kieran did not argue. Maybe he truly was overthinking it.

He shifted into his wolf and ran down the corridor. His massive dark form disappeared in the blink of an eye. Kaden glanced back at the door. A single word slipped from his lips. "Yuki..." He did not like the taste it left in his mouth.

He turned around and walked away.

********

Morning came fast. Yuki did not want to move a muscle but unfortunately, she could not sleep in. Very early in the morning she was summoned for breakfast.

She begrudgingly made her way to the dining room after preparing for the day. The maid led the way but Yuki could sense something off about the omega. She was respectful on the surface.

It was obvious the household did not respect Aevia, the future Luna, and as a result saw Yuki in the same light. They arrived at the private dining room door. The door was pushed open and Yuki stepped inside.

The moment she crossed the threshold she felt the pressure immediately. People were already seated at the table. From the look of things, she was the last to arrive.

Alexander was seated next to Aevia with the boys also at the table, although Kieran and Kaden looked like they would rather starve than eat at this table. Alexander noticed her as soon as she stepped in.

He gave her a soft smile. "Yuki, good morning. Please take a seat." He said while sweetly peeling an orange for Aevia. They looked so much in love.

"Good morning, Alpha," she replied with a smile, ignoring the tension, and walked up to her seat. Alexander’s smile remained.

"You do not have to be so formal. You can just call me Dad as soon as the wedding is over. I will make it official," Alexander said cheerfully. As soon as the words left his lips, Kieran started choking and coughing hard.

He quickly reached for a glass of water and gulped it down before the coughing died out. His eyes were red from how hard he had coughed.

The atmosphere turned awkward and Yuki sat there confused about whether to reach for the cutlery until Aevia spoke up. "Try eating up. You have a big day today." She urged Yuki to eat.

Yuki nodded and reached out to take a sip of her drink. The meal continued in awkward silence. No one was ready to speak. The boys were practically itching to leave but stayed because of Alexander.

Alexander and Aevia continued looking so lovey-dovey with each other that it genuinely made the rest uncomfortable. After what felt like forever Alexander decided to speak. His gaze reluctantly moved from Aevia to Kaden.

"When is your brother returning?" He asked. Yuki was curious. She did not know there was another brother. She honestly did not know much about the Ravencourt brothers.

Kaden’s hand froze for a moment. His jaw clenched before it relaxed. "There is still a bit of trouble with the company. The Darkcove Alpha is being difficult with the expansion agreement so Killian might take longer than expected," he gave a vague explanation which Alexander seemed to understand.

He sighed. "I guess he would be back for Eloise’s birthday," he replied. Kaden nodded then took a last bite of his food before he slowly stood up.

"I guess so," he replied. "If you do not mind, Kieran and I have to leave." He said politely. Kieran was already half up.

Alexander did not stop them but his next suggestion struck a nerve. "Since you are heading out, why don’t you take Yuki with you? She needs help with her university transfer and you know the campus well, Kaden." He suggested and Kaden’s face turned ashen.

He still tried to remain calm but his displeasure was not hidden. "You can assign someone else. I do not have the time to babysit... her." He dragged out the word.

Alexander did not stop what he was doing. His voice remained calm. "That was not a suggestion, Kaden." He said calmly, shutting Kaden up.