Chapter 10: The Order

Caleb's POV

Alastair shut the door of the council antechamber behind us and turned the key.

I had known him for eleven years. I had never seen him lock a door against his own officer.

"Sit down," he said.

"I'll stand, Alpha."

"Then stand." He went to the window and put both hands on the sill.

"You'll end the engagement tonight. Tell her it was a mistake. Use whatever reason you like."

"No."

"Caleb."

"I told you no twice before she was ever in the room. I'm not going to say yes now that I've met her."

He turned.

"That's exactly why you have to."

"Explain that to me."

He didn't.

He stood there with his jaw working.

I looked at the man who had trained me and promoted me.

He had sent me to the far border six years running.

I had never asked why.

Since the corridor, I couldn't stop thinking that I should have.

"Every time she hosted something, you sent me out to the posts," I said. "The council dinner. The harvest. Her wedding anniversary."

"The line needed inspection."

"The line is inspected by the Beta's men. I checked the records last night. Nobody else was ever sent."

His eyes flicked to me and away.

"You put the match to me when the old king died," I said. "You picked me out of forty officers. Why me?"

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