Alpha Rolan’s POV
I stood by the window, watching the rain drizzle down in a steady rhythm. The sky outside was gray, mirroring the unease I’d felt gnawing at me all day.
Pandora was resting upstairs, as per the doctor’s orders, and though I knew she needed the break, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bigger was at play.
I sighed, turning my back to the window just as my phone rang.
Griffin. I hadn’t spoken to him since he went on leave, and honestly, I never thought I would hear from him so soon.
He had been my right-hand man for so many years, helping me through everything from political negotiations to personal crises.
But after his sudden change in attitude, I figured he was ready to finally give into the thoughts I had suspected that he would have since he was my half-brother.
Still, the timing of my call to him had felt right, given Pandora’s health and my need to ensure everything needed for our vacation ran smoothly.
“Griffin,” I said as I answered the call. “I need you back.”
There was a pause on the other end, and I could hear the faint sound of laughter in the background before his voice came through, low and composed as always.
“Your majesty, I have found my mate.”
I blinked in surprise. Griffin? Finding his mate after all these years? The man had dedicated his life to his duties and to me, never once giving the impression that he even cared for that kind of bond.
“You found your mate?” I repeated, incredulous. “Who is she? When did this happen?”
“Her name is Camilla,” Griffin replied, his voice tinged with something…darker. “I met her the day after I went on leave.”
There was something in the way he said “leave” that made me pause, a sharp edge to his voice that hadn’t been there before.
Griffin was never one to speak bitterly, even after all the hardships he’d faced. I didn’t like the tone, but I pushed it aside, focusing instead on the fact that my half-brother had found someone.
“Bring her to the palace,” I ordered, glancing upstairs to where Pandora was likely still resting. “Pandora will want to meet her.”
“I don’t know if-”
“That’s not a request, Griffin. Bring her.”
There was a moment of silence, and then he agreed. I ended the call, my mind racing. Griffin, with a mate? After so many years of loyalty to me and to the pack, it felt like a strange shift, one I wasn’t entirely sure how to handle.
I climbed the stairs, quietly slipping into the room where Pandora lay curled up under the blankets. Her chest rose and fell in the steady rhythm of sleep, and I hesitated to disturb her. But this was news she needed to hear.
I sat on the edge of the bed and gently touched her shoulder. “Pandora, love, wake up.”
Her eyes fluttered open, still heavy with the remnants of sleep. She blinked at me, confusion giving way to a soft smile. “Rolan?”
“Griffin found his mate,” I told her, keeping my voice low. “He’s on his way to the palace with her.”
That got her attention. She sat up, brushing a hand through her hair. “Griffin? After all these years?”
I nodded. “Her name is Camilla. He met her the day after he went on leave.”
Pandora frowned, noticing the same thing I had, the way Griffin had spoken about his leave. “That’s strange,” she said slowly. “Griffin always seemed so…detached. What do you think changed?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll find out soon enough.” I kissed her forehead. “Get dressed, love. I want you to be there when they arrive.”
A short while later, Pandora and I stood in the grand hall as Griffin entered, his arm wrapped protectively around a striking woman with dark hair and piercing green eyes.
Camilla. There was something about her that immediately set me on edge, though I couldn’t quite place it.
“Rolan, Pandora,” Griffin acknowledged, his voice as formal as ever. “This is Camilla.”
Pandora stepped forward, offering a warm smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Camilla. Why don’t you join me for a chat while the men catch up?”
Griffin’s face hardened immediately. “We’re in a bit of a rush, Luna.”
I narrowed my eyes, the sharpness in his tone grating against my nerves. This was the second time that I heard him speak to Pandora like that, and it sent a wave of irritation through me.
Before I could say anything, Pandora, ever calm and graceful, smiled at him and then at Camilla.
“Griffin, if the Luna wants to speak to someone, she will,” I gritted out, my voice low with a warning edge. “No matter the situation.”
Griffin’s jaw tightened, but he nodded, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his face. “I apologize, Alpha, Luna.”
Camilla glanced at him before following Pandora out of the room, leaving me alone with Griffin.
The air between us felt strained, a tension I wasn’t used to feeling around him. We had been through so much together, but this…this was different.
“I don’t like your tone with Pandora,” I started quietly, but there was no mistaking the firmness in my voice. “You’d better watch it, Griffin.”
He lowered his gaze. “I didn’t mean any disrespect, Alpha.”
I stepped closer, my voice dropping even further. “You’re lucky she’s the one who saved your hide after what happened before. If it were up to me, I would have dealt with you differently.”
Griffin stiffened, but he didn’t argue. He knew better. Still, something had shifted between us, something I couldn’t ignore.
As much as I had intended to ask him to help plan a secret getaway for Pandora and me, I realized at that moment that it wasn’t the right choice.
Griffin had changed, and I didn’t trust him like I once did. There was something off about him now, something that made me question his loyalty, and I couldn’t afford to take any chances with Pandora’s safety.
“I’ll handle the rest from here,” I said finally, dismissing him with a wave of my hand. “You’re excused.”
Griffin hesitated for a moment before nodding and turning to leave. As he walked away, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of a growing unease settling in the pit of my stomach.
Something was wrong. And I needed to find out what.