The tension in the office was suffocating when Zara ushered in a fierce, petite woman with Anya's eyes—her sister, Maya.
Maya looked at the bloodied rug, the strange tech, and the terrifying, towering figure of Kaelan Vex, and her face went white.
"Anya! Are you alright? What is this place? Who is he?" Maya cried, rushing toward her.
Kaelan stepped forward, blocking Maya's path. "I am Alpha Kaelan Vex. Anya is under my protection and is contracted to me."
Maya ignored him, her gaze fixed on Anya's terrified eyes. "You're a prisoner! I saw the perimeter breach report!"
Anya knew she had to sell the lie. She sent a silent, desperate plea through the faint connection of the bond, asking Kaelan for cooperation.
"I'm fine, Maya," Anya said, stepping around Kaelan and taking her sister's hands. She consciously injected a tone of calm acceptance into her voice, relying on Kaelan's projected calm from the bond to make the lie convincing. "This is complicated. I'm working on a confidential project for Kaelan and his security firm. We are... engaged."
Maya looked at the stark terror in Anya's eyes, then at the lingering, faint bruise on her neck. "Engaged? Why is he holding you like this?"
Kaelan, sensing the failure of the facade, stepped in, wrapping his arm possessively around Anya's waist.
The Mate Bond flooded the space with a potent, undeniable sense of ownership and security, aimed directly at Maya.
"Anya is my Mate, and she is easily stressed," Kaelan said, his voice low and commanding. "She is safe here. Your presence is disruptive. You will leave now and accept her choice."
Maya stared at the raw, primal assertion of the claim, seeing the unnatural calm in Anya's eyes. Knowing her sister was a survivor, Maya realized the lie was the only way to escape. With a final, heartbroken look, Maya nodded.
"I'll be waiting for you, Anya," Maya whispered, before Zara escorted her out.
The second the door sealed, Anya wrenched free of Kaelan's grasp, sinking to the floor, her body trembling with the emotional cost of the performance. She had lied to her sister, and the bond had betrayed her, making the lie feel terrifyingly real.