The next morning, the shared trauma of the night had forged a cold, fragile understanding. Kaelan still maintained his Authority, but he replaced physical dominance with calculated psychological gestures.
Anya found a small, sleek device on her desk. It was a personal communicator, designed with Lycan tech but disguised as a human cell phone.
"It is a gift," Kaelan announced, watching her closely. "It allows you to access limited external media—news, research databases. Anything that alleviates boredom and assists your work."
Anya picked it up, her fingers tracing the smooth, familiar lines of human design. "What's the catch?"
"The catch is that every communication is logged and monitored by me, & the Alpha Command prevents you from calling your sister," Kaelan replied, his voice flat. "But it prevents the emotional instability that disrupts my health. Your comfort is now a security protocol."
It was a cage with a window. Anya still hated the deception, but the access to information was too valuable to refuse. She accepted the phone with a curt nod.
Later, as she worked, Kaelan brought her a box of her own preferred brand of herbal tea, which she had mentioned only once to Zara.
"The Clan stores what is necessary," Kaelan stated, preempting her thanks.
Anya opened the box, the simple, familiar scent of the tea a sudden, sharp connection to her old life. She looked up at Kaelan, seeing the complicated web of his actions: the Alpha who would claim her life, yet provide her favorite tea.
The Mate Bond sent a strange mix of acceptance & gratitude to Kaelan, a reaction Anya couldn't suppress. She was beginning to understand that Kaelan Vex didn't know how to treat a Mate; he only knew how to treat a necessary possession. And providing for his possession was simply his primal, unrefined method of showing care.