Darius gazed into the distance, his answer completely matter-of-fact. "I came to see my mate." Ryan's mouth twitched. He almost wanted to slap himself—now he finally understood how Oliver used to feel when he complained about being force-fed public displays of affection. He should've guessed. Darius coming all this way and accompanying Thora through the entire third round of assessments couldn't have been for any reason other than his mate. There was no way this guy was interested in a diploma from Blue Star Military Academy or becoming a military officer. Ryan turned to look at Darius, his expression serious. "I've known you for a long time, and I always knew you were holding back. But I never imagined ... your true strength would be this unfathomable." As the youngest Alpha in the history of the Nightclaw Pack, Darius's strength was beyond question. Ryan had witnessed firsthand how decisive and ruthless Darius could be when handling internal pack disputes or dealing with international conflicts. He never hesitated or dragged things out. But Darius rarely displayed his combat abilities in person. In the past, the most he'd ever done was spar casually with Ryan, Oliver, and the others, always stopping before things got serious. This was the first time Ryan had seen Darius fully showcase his capabilities. His performance in every round of the assessment had placed him firmly in the top tier, leaving even Ryan—someone who'd spent years carrying out military missions—far behind. It wasn't until today that Ryan realized he didn't truly understand this friend of his. Perhaps the Darius they all knew was simply the version he wanted them to see. Beyond the shock, there was a complicated feeling he couldn't quite put into words. Suddenly, Darius patted him on the shoulder, the corner of his lips curving upward. "All you need to know is that I'm Darius. That's enough." Ryan felt a weight lift from his mind and broke into a grin. "You're right." No matter what Darius was really like, no matter how much he'd kept hidden, they were friends—brothers in arms. That was enough. "So what's your plan from here?" Ryan asked. He didn't believe for a second that Darius would set aside the Nightclaw Pack and Skybound Group to quietly spend a few years at the military academy—this place simply wasn't meant for him. Put simply, there were only three types of people who wanted to get into Blue Star Military Academy. First, those sent by the Astralis Empire, a faction, or their family. Second, those who wanted the diploma so they could join Blue Star's elite class. Third, those who held the soldier's creed close to their hearts and viewed this place as the highest military hall.Darius didn't fit any of those categories. Darius smiled and patted Ryan on the shoulder. "I'll need you to look after Thora for me going forward." "You're leaving?" Ryan caught on immediately. It was within his expectations. Seeing that Darius didn't elaborate, he furrowed his brow and teased, "Relax. Your mate's a total badass. She's definitely not gonna get pushed around." "No." A hint of coldness crept into Darius's tone. "I mean keep an eye on the people who have their sights set on her. Blue Star Military Academy runs deep. Thora's personality is too innocent. I'm worried she'll get taken advantage of." He said it with complete sincerity. Ryan fell silent. He agreed with the first half, but the second half sounded off no matter how he heard it—Thora didn't exactly come across as a harmless little lamb. "Watch out for Ashley," Darius warned in a low voice. Ryan immediately thought of that tall, beautiful woman and nodded. "Yeah, I've had my guard up around her for a while now. "When are you leaving?" Darius furrowed his brow, gazing into the distance. "Soon." "Back to Astralis?" "Yeah." Ryan didn't press further. Darius returning to Astralis surely meant he had important matters to handle. Besides, Ryan had a feeling he'd see him at the military academy again. Knowing Darius, there was no way he'd be able to stay away from Thora. Expecting him to live out years of loneliness in the Astralis Empire, cut off from love and desire? Maybe that would've been possible before, but now that his head was full of his mate, there was absolutely no chance.Darius stared into the distance, his gaze heavy. He had to return to the Astralis Empire as soon as possible to find Yereah. He could feel Draven's consciousness growing rapidly. Once it grew to the point where he could no longer suppress it, the consequences would be unthinkable. He had let Draven take over during the game because he knew Draven's abilities were better suited for that dangerous environment and could help Thora more effectively. But before Ryan had found him, he'd already regained control of his body. If Ryan had found Draven instead, he would've noticed something was wrong—and Draven might have silenced him permanently. In Draven's mind, there was no such thing as mercy. Darius couldn't let Draven be fully exposed in front of Ryan. In all these years, he had never felt Draven's desire to emerge as intensely as now.Was it because of ... Thora?