The next morning, Lucien had me sparring in the outer courtyard.
"Control your instinct," he said, blocking my swing. "Your mark doesn't just respond to you—it responds to others. Especially Alphas."
I nodded, breathing hard. My muscles burned.
"You're hiding something," I said suddenly.
Lucien froze mid-step. His eyes darkened, sharp.
"I… I don't lie," he said cautiously.
"You do. About you."
A pause. Then he dropped his stance. "Fine. Yes. I've known more about your bloodline than I've told you. And I didn't tell you because… some truths are dangerous."
I swallowed hard. "Dangerous how?"
"Because some Alphas will see you as a threat," he admitted. "Others… as a prize." His gaze flickered somewhere distant. "And not everyone wants to play fair."
My chest tightened. "Like Kaiden?"
Lucien's eyes narrowed. "Especially him."
I frowned. "He saved me. And Kaiden… he's… different. He didn't touch me, didn't take me. But I… I can't stop thinking about him."
Lucien's jaw tightened. "Don't let him distract you. Your survival is priority. Not feelings."
"Not feelings?" I repeated. "He's… he's the only one who's made me feel…"
Lucien cut me off, voice firm. "That's exactly why you can't trust him yet. Or him, or anyone else. Not Darius. Not Kaiden. Not me."
I stepped back, breathing faster. "Not even you?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he simply said, "I've protected you this far. But the moment your feelings start guiding your decisions instead of strategy… you'll die."
I stared at him. The weight of his words pressed down. But beneath it… there was something else.
Something protective.
Something almost… personal.
"Then teach me," I whispered. "Teach me to survive… without losing myself."
Lucien's eyes softened, just slightly. He stepped closer, closer than usual, but not touching.
"Then you must trust me completely," he said.
I nodded slowly.
"Good," he said. "Because if Darius makes his move tonight… we'll need every ounce of trust we can muster."
And as he walked away, I realized something else.
He wasn't just my teacher.
He wasn't just my protector.
He was dangerous in a way I didn't fully understand.
And for the first time… I wasn't sure if I wanted him to be.