Freya's POV "Can you find out anything about Parker Williams's background from three years ago?" I asked directly. Silas leaned back against the table, his expression shadowed. "We're digging. But it's not easy. He's the illegitimate son of the Williams family. Even in the last few years, he's kept an extremely low profile. And as for his past from three years ago-it's like someone deliberately erased it. It'll take time." I nodded slowly, my jaw tightening. "I went to his place tonight. Showed him a picture of my brother…" I began to recount everything-the way I'd slipped into Parker's apartment, the cold way he'd spoken, the scars, the denial. When I finished, Silas's brow was furrowed deep. "You went there alone?" His voice was low, edged with anger. "What if something had happened to you?" "Going alone made it easier to get in without being noticed," I said calmly. "If I brought anyone else, the risk of being caught would've doubled. I came back safe, didn't I?" "And what if you hadn't?" he snapped, his tone sharper now. "I had a contingency," I said simply. "I sent a timed message to Kade. If I didn't return by three a.m., the message would've gone straight to his WolfComm. He'd know what to do." Silas's eyes darkened, the muscles in his jaw twitching. "So you did plan ahead." "Of course I did." Still, I could feel the Alpha energy simmering beneath his calm exterior, barely leashed. "Even if Parker insists he's not my brother," I went on, "I still want to run a DNA test. But when I asked, he refused. Getting a sample from him now… won't be easy." Silas's gaze lingered on me. "If I… let's say, happened to knock him out cold, would you be able to handle the rest?" I paused, half turning to face him. "You mean… take a sample while he's unconscious?" He gave a small shrug, utterly serious. "Or get him drunk. Either way, it's cleaner than letting you sneak into danger again." I slipped off my jacket and draped it over a chair. "If we were in the Capital, this wouldn't be an issue. I could just file a report with the Iron Fang Recon Unit, and the military would compel the test. But we're not home." The room fell quiet for a moment. Then I frowned. "Why aren't you saying anything?" Silas's voice came suddenly, lower than before. "Why Kade?" I blinked. "What?" "Why was your backup Kade Blackridge?" He stepped closer, shadows swallowing the space between us. "Why him-and not me?" I stared up at him, momentarily speechless. "You know damn well I have more ways to protect you here," he said, his tone rough with restrained frustration. "If anything had happened, I could've gotten to you faster than anyone. But you didn't even think to tell me?" His eyes-those silver eyes-were sharp, accusing, and something else… something wounded. I exhaled. "Kade and I were partners in the Iron Fang Recon Unit. We've been through missions together. There's a certain rhythm-a trust we don't need to speak aloud. That's all it was." "And you think you and I couldn't have that same trust?" Silas shot back. "You never gave us a chance to find out." I met his gaze evenly. "You've already done more than enough, Silas. I can't ask for more." He gave a hollow laugh. "You think helping you is a burden?" I looked away. "No. But I know that helping me… isn't just about me for you." He went still. "I'm not blind," I said quietly. "You still have feelings for me. And maybe I'm using that-to get what I need. To find Eric." I swallowed. "That's not fair to you. I know that. And I'm sorry." Silas's voice softened, but it still carried the Alpha's edge. "You don't owe me an apology. Whether you call it using or borrowing my strength-it doesn't matter. I told you before. I'm doing this because I want to." I lifted my eyes to his. "And if I never come back to you?" The words hit harder than I meant them to. "If I can't return your feelings, Silas… if that part of us really is over?" "Don't," he cut me off, his tone suddenly sharp. "Don't finish that sentence.""Silas-" He turned away, jaw clenched, the muscles in his forearm flexing where his hand gripped the table edge. I sighed softly. "I'm sorry. Truly. If you ever need something from me-anything-I'll do it. I'll repay what you've done for me." "Repay?" he repeated, his eyes snapping back to mine. He took a step closer, his presence filling the air, heavy with Alpha dominance. "Then tell me, Freya-if I said I can't sleep, that my nights are endless and restless, how would you repay that?" I frowned. "If you're losing sleep, you should see a healer." A faint smirk curved his lips. "Who says I haven't?" My gaze flicked to the faint shadows under his eyes, that dark exhaustion I'd noticed before. So it was insomnia. "Or is your promise of repayment just words?" he said, his tone low, dangerous in the way only he could make it. "If it is, Freya, don't say it again. Don't give me hope you'll only take away." The quiet between us stretched until it felt almost unbearable. Finally, I said, "If being near me really helps you sleep… then while we're abroad, you can stay here. You can sleep in my room." His brows shot up. "You're serious?" "Yes." I met his gaze without flinching. "If that's what you want as repayment, I'll do it."