Chapter 267: Tell no one

Yuki immediately tried to establish a mental link with her inner wolf, demanding that customer service explain what kind of stunt had been pulled overnight, only to realise her beast had gone completely quiet, playing dead and refusing to answer her calls.

Killian walked over to the sleek laptop sitting on his bedside desk. He booted up the system, entering his security clearance and opening the encrypted feed linked to the surveillance cameras stationed throughout his private wing. He began rewinding the footage, the screen showing his dark hallway completely quiet until the timestamp hit precisely 2:14 AM.

A slender figure in silk sleepwear appeared on the screen, padding quietly down the corridor toward his double doors.

Yuki went dead cold to her very soul.

*When the hell did I start sleepwalking?* she thought in absolute, horrified terror. She watched the screen in utter disbelief as her video counterpart walked straight up to Killian’s door, turned the handle, slipped inside, and smoothly shut the door behind her. There were no security cameras inside his personal bedroom, but that footage alone was more than enough to prove the unthinkable truth.

In the video, she had been moving with slow, deliberate steps, her nose slightly tilted up as if tracking Killian’s distinct pine and cinnamon scent through the air.

Yuki raised her hands, aggressively massaging her throbbing temples. *Was I really so worried about this jerk that I sleepwalked straight into his bed? If that even made a shred of logical sense.*

Killian closed the laptop lid with a soft click, turning his broad frame around to face her.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" he hissed, folding his large arms across his chest.

Yuki was completely lost for words. She couldn’t believe she had literally half-shifted in her sleep just to heighten her olfactory senses and track his exact location.

"You can’t blame me!" she blurted out defensively.

Killian blinked, genuinely stunned. "Excuse me?"

Yuki immediately began spinning a counter-narrative, standing tall and pointing an accusing finger at him.

"If you hadn’t been so completely careless yesterday and injured yourself, would I have gotten so worried that I sleepwalked?! I just happen to have a good heart and a strong conscience!"

Killian kept his arms crossed, his blue eyes narrowing as his gaze drifted over her flushed face. He couldn’t help noticing the way her eyes subtly flicked down to his bare biceps, which were fully on display in his fitted lounge shirt, unburdened by his usual tailored suits.

"So you were worried about me, Snowflake?" he taunted smoothly, a dark glint of amusement dancing in his eyes.

"I have a conscience!" Yuki huffed, her face burning hotter. "Besides, you played a major part in rescuing me at the mall yesterday. Now that this stupid situation is settled, I hope it ends right here today. I would deeply appreciate it if absolutely no one ever learns of this." She lowered her voice into a sharp whisper, stepping closer. "It will be for the best of both our reputations."

Killian sneered, leaning down slightly. "What, is it some kind of dirty secret?"

Yuki snorted, rolling her eyes. "Stop acting like this is the first time you’ve kept a secret for the sake of pack politics," she said, subtly hinting at his rut incident.

Killian’s lips curved into a wicked smirk. She was actually trying to bargain with him.

"Glad we have an agreement," Yuki declared, turning on her heel and marching swiftly toward the main doors.

"Hold it," Killian commanded, reaching out and catching her elbow.

Yuki whipped her head around, her emerald eyes narrowing. "What now?!"

"The morning shifts have already started," Killian explained, his voice dropping into a serious, strategic tone. "The hallway maids and security detail are patrolling the main corridor right now. If anyone sees you walking out of my private wing in your nightwear at seven in the morning, the entire household will know in seconds."

He glanced toward the expansive glass balcony windows. "Shift into your full wolf form and jump down through the window. If you’re fast enough, no one will spot you in the gardens, and you can claim you went out for an early morning run."

Yuki blinked, processing his logic. *Damn it, he’s smart.*

She looked at him, crossing her arms again. "Turn around then."

Killian arched a brow. "Why?" He questioned

"Because my clothes will be completely ripped if I shift, you idiot!" she hissed, her face reddening again. "Turn around!"

Reluctantly, Killian turned his back to her, facing the wall. A second later, he heard the soft rustle of silk fabric slipping off skin, followed by a low, ethereal hum of shifting magic.

’Tell a single soul about this, Killian, and I will tear your throat out,’ a sharp, defensive voice echoed directly into his mind through a brief telepathic link. ’My reputation is on the line.’

Killian turned around and paused.

Standing in the centre of his bedroom was a grand, breathtaking, pure white wolf with the prettiest, striking violet eyes he had ever seen. She was undeniably majestic.

"You’re pretty big for a little wolf," Killian taunted smoothly, though he was genuinely speaking the absolute truth. Yuki’s wolf form was surprisingly large, easily surpassing the size of standard high-court warrior wolves.

The white wolf let out an irritated, huffing sound, her head tossing back. ’You are insufferably annoying,’ the voice echoed in his mind. It sounded remarkably similar to Yuki’s voice, yet carried the wild cadence of her inner beast.

Without wasting another second, the majestic white wolf leapt across the room, her powerful hind legs driving her frame straight through the open balcony doors. She sailed through the air, landing silently on the soft grass of the lower estate gardens below before disappearing into the morning mist like a ghost.

Killian stood alone in his quiet room for a long moment. Finally, he let his body fall backwards onto the mattress, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"What the fuck just happened?" he mumbled aloud to the empty room.

As he lay there, a strange realisation washed over him. His mind was clearer than it had been in ages. The agonising, split-skull headache that had tormented him for days was completely gone, replaced by a profound, soothing tranquillity. The last time he had felt this exceptionally calm and rested was the night he had personally nursed her through her high fever after her wolf had collapsed from Eloise’s stunt.

Killian’s brows pulled together in a tight, disturbed frown.

She is no longer his mate. The bond was severed. She should not be having any kind of biological or spiritual effect on his wolf ever again.

He closed his eyes.

The truth settled colder than he wanted to admit.

It was not his wolf that had been seeking her out.

It was him.