The Professor's Mate Clause novel Chapter 83

CHAPTER 83

ADRIAN’S POV

“You want me to do what?” Kelvin stares at me like I’ve lost my mind.

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“Reach out to your contacts in Asher’s pack. The ones who might be sympathetic to our cause. The ones who are tired of his leadership. The ones who might feed us information.” I lean back in my hair. “You said yourself there are wolves in his pack who want out. Who hate what he’s become. Let’s use that.”

“You want me to build a spy network. Inside my father’s pack. Using wolves who might be royal to him. Who might report back everything I tell them.” Kelvin shakes his head. “That’s suicide Adrian. For me and for anyone who agrees to help.”

“Which is why we’re careful. Why we only approach wolves you absolutely trust. Why we give them information that seems valuable but is actually useless. Why we use them to feed Asher false intelligence.” I stand. Move to the window. “We can’t win a straight fight. He has more wolves. More resources. More territory. But we can win through strategy. Through deception. Through making him paranoid and uncertain.” 1

“And if one of them betrays us? If they tell Asher what we’re planning? We’ll have handed him everything he needs to destroy us.

“Then we make sure the information they have is exactly what we want him to know. We feed him lies that make him complacent. Make him think he’s winning when he’s actually walking into our trap.” I turn to face him. “I know it’s risky. I know it could backfire. But we need an edge Kelvin. Need something that gives us advantage. This could be it.”

He’s quiet for a long moment. Thinking. Weighing risks. Deciding if he trusts me Everything.

enough to risk his life. His contacts’ lives.

“There are three.” He finally says. “Three wolves I trust completely. Who hate my father. Who would help if they thought it would end his reign.”

“Tell me about them.”

“First is Devon. He’s been with the pack for decades. Lost his mate to Asher’s hybrid purges. He’s loyal out of fear, not love. But he’d turn in a heartbeat if he thought he could survive it.”

“Second?”

“Sarah. Young. Idealistic. Thinks Asher is a monster. She’s been quietly helping wolves escape. Getting them out before Asher can execute them. She’d be useful for extraction operations. Getting wolves out who want to defect.”

“And the third?”

“Thomas. My father’s Beta.” Kelvin meets my eyes. “He’s the most dangerous contact. The most valuable. And the most likely to get us all killed.”

My blood runs cold. “Asher’s Beta wants to betray him?”

“Thomas has been Beta for fifty years. Watched my father descend into madness. Watched him go from firm but fair to cruel and paranoid. He’s tired of it. Tired of cleaning up Asher’s messes. Tired of being complicit in atrocities.” Kelvin leans forward. “But he’s also terrified. If Asher finds out Thomas is even considering betrayal he’ll kill him. Slowly. Publicly. Make an example.”

“Can you reach him? Set up a meeting? Get him to agree to feed us intelligence?”

“Maybe. It’s risky. For him and for me. But I can try.” Kelvin stands. “I need a few days. Need to make contact carefully. Make sure it’s not a trap. Make sure Thomas is genuinely willing and not setting me up.”

“Take whatever time you need. But Kelvin?” I stop him at the door. “If this goes wrong. If Asher finds out and retaliates. I need you to run. Don’t try to be a hero. Just get out. Get back here. We’ll protect you.”

“I appreciate that. But if this goes wrong I won’t make it back. Asher will kill me the moment he realizes what I’ve done.” He opens the door. “But it’s worth the risk. My father needs to be stopped. If this helps do that. If this saves even one life. It’s worth it.”

He leaves. I sit back down. Stare at the maps on my desk. At the territory markers. Ak the battle plans that might all be worthless if Asher adapts. If he learns our strategies. If he outmaneuvers us.

A spy network could change everything. Could give us the intelligence we need to win. Or could get us all killed if it backfires.

But we’re out of options. Out of time. Out of ways to win this conventionally.

So we gamble. We risk. We hope Kelvin’s contacts are as trustworthy as he believes,

And we prepare for the consequences if they’re not.

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