Kaelan stood over Anya, the fury in his eyes battling the urgent tactical need for her intelligence. "Partner and prisoner," he repeated, the words a raw compromise. "You have bought your life, Rylan. But your obedience is now paramount."
"My obedience comes with a price, Alpha," Anya countered, her voice steady despite the adrenaline crash. "The bond is a liability. Your rage and fear interfere with my work. You must contain your emotions when I'm decoding."
Kaelan ran a hand over his bloodied, sweat-drenched hair. The argument was maddeningly rational. "Fine. New Command: You will give me a twenty-second verbal warning before any major discovery. This is to prepare my state of mind."
Anya nodded stiffly. An agreed-upon protocol was the closest thing to freedom she could get.
"Now, the Hybrids." Kaelan pointed to the screen showing the Hybrid fractal trace. "Silas has been planning this for years. He uses the West Wing to target the nurseries—a direct challenge to my succession. We need to expose his genetics to the Council before he strikes again."
"I need access to the Clan's archived genetic records to cross-reference his trace," Anya stated. "And a non-Lycan device. Your network is too biased."
Kaelan glared. "I will bring you the file. But your Mate Command still holds. You will not attempt to leave the confines of this room."