Mated to Her Alpha Instructor (Eileen and Regis) novel Chapter 197

B

The medical station felt different when I returned that morning–tighter somehow, the air charged with a tension I couldn’t quite name. Kieran stood near the main entrance in casual conversation with one of Dr. Hawthorne’s assistants, but his posture was pure sentinel, his eyes tracking movement with the sharp focus of someone expecting trouble. Two additional guards I didn’t recognize had taken up positions along the perimeter path, their presence subtle enough not to alarm patients but obvious enough that anyone watching would understand the station was now under protection.

Mira caught up with me before I’d made it three steps past the doorway, her expression caught somewhere between worry and curiosity as she fell into step beside me, her hand finding my elbow with that casual familiarity I’d come to treasure. Alright, what’s going on?” she asked, keeping her voice low enough not to carry.

“Kieran showed up yesterday like he’s expecting an invasion, there are strange wolves patrolling the grounds.” She paused, studying my face with those sharp eyes that missed nothing. “And you’re wearing that look–the one that says something serious happened but you’re trying very hard to pretend everything’s fine.”

I glanced around, confirming we had relative privacy in this corner of the corridor, then guided her toward one of the empty treatment rooms where we could speak without being overheard. The moment the door closed behind us, I felt the weight of what I needed to tell her settle across my shoulders, the careful balance between honesty and discretion making my words come slowly, each one chosen with surgical precision.

“Silas wasn’t what he appeared to be,” I said quietly, watching her face shift from confusion to alarm as I continued. “He had connections to hostile packs, was involved in sabotaging supply lines at the border, and he was specifically targeting someone at this station.” I didn’t name Nina–that wasn’t my secret to share–but the implications were clear enough. “Regis discovered the conspiracy and filed formal charges. Silas has been stripped of his position and is wanted by the Council.”

Mira’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes going wide with a mixture of horror and retroactive fear. “Moon’s mercy, Eileen. He was here. He walked these halls, talked to us like he was just another administrator doing his job.” Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “He was that close to you–to all of us–and

we had no idea what he really was.”

The thought made something cold and sharp twist in my stomach, the memory of Silas’s pleasant smile and careful questions taking on sinister weight in light of what I now knew. How many times had I stood within arm’s reach of him, vulnerable and unsuspecting, while he calculated how best to use me as

leverage or eliminate me as an obstacle? How many conversations had we shared where beneath his polite facade he’d been measuring, planning, waiting for

the perfect moment to strike?

“That’s why Kieran’s here,‘ I said, forcing my voice to remain steady even as anxiety tried to creep into my tone. And why the guard presence has increased. Regis wanted to make sure we’re protected while he deals with the larger conspiracy.” I met her eyes, letting her see the seriousness of the situation. “There might be others involved–people working with Silas who haven’t been identified yet. We need to be careful, Mira. All of us.”

She nodded slowly, her natural exuberance dampened by the gravity of what I’d revealed, but I saw the moment he