The heavy oak doors of the study clicked shut beind Elena who was seriously fuming. The room suddenly felt five degrees colder, filled only with the scent of Killian's lingering rage and the hum of the computer server Faith had just saved.

Faith tried to stand, her legs still trembling. "Thank you for..."

"Don't thank me Faith", Killian cut her off, his voice sharp as a razor. He didn't look at her; he was staring at the glowing green light on his monitor-the logic gate she had just fixed. "I didn't do it for you. I did it because I don't tolerate trash in my workspace, and I certainly don't tolerate people touching what belongs to me."

Faith's jaw tightened. "I'm not a 'what,' Killian.and I'm a human being with blood not a property".

He finally turned, his grey eyes swirling with an unreadable storm. "In this house, you are a debt-holder. That makes your safety my responsibility, and your time my asset. The fact that you actually understand system architecture is....intriguing, but it doesn't change your status."

He walked toward his desk,. "Since you're so eager to be useful, take these files to the archive room in the West Wing. And don't get lost. I don't have time to send a search party for a maid."

He shoved a heavy leather folder into her arms. His tone was bossy, cold, and dismissive.

Faith took the files, her chest tight with a mix of gratitude and annoyance. "Fine. I'll be out of your hair."

She turned and hurried toward the door, her mind spinning. She was halfway across the polished marble threshold when her foot caught on the edge of the heavy Persian rug. With her hands full of files, she couldn't break her fall.

"Ah-!"

Before she could hit the floor, a blur of motion crossed the room.

A pair of strong, iron-clad arms wrapped around her waist, yanking her back against a hard chest. The files scattered, papers flying around like white birds, but Faith didn't care. She was pressed firmly against Killian.

The contact was electric.

Through the thin fabric of her uniform, she could feel the heat radiating from his body. The "Mate" pull-that strange, magnetic tug in her soul-erupted into a roar. Killian didn't let go. His large hands spanned her waist, his fingers digging slightly into her skin as if he were trying to stabilize himself.

Faith looked up,she gasped . Killian was staring down at her, his face inches from hers. For the first time, the cold Alpha demeanor was  gone. His pupils were blown wide, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled her scent-the scent of honey and wild rain that was driving his wolf mad.

He looked at her eyes, then her lips, his throat working as he gulped hard. For a heartbeat, the billionaire Alpha looked completely lost.

"Faith...." he whispered, his voice no longer cold, but rough and strained.

Faith's heart hammered against her ribs. "I....I thought you said you didn't care about me," she breathed, her voice barely a whisper. "That I was just an asset."

Killian's grip tightened for a second before he realized what he was doing. He cleared his throat abruptly, his face flushing a rare shade of red. He let her go so quickly she almost stumbled again.

"I....I meant," he stuttered, stepping back and smoothing his perfectly straight tie. "I meant that if you break your neck, I have to fill out the insurance paperwork. It's... it's a logistical nightmare."

He wouldn't look at her. He began picking up the scattered papers with jerky movements-completely different from his usual cool self.

"Just.... go, Faith. Before you break something else."

Faith stood there, her skin still tingling where he had touched her. She saw the way his hands shook slightly as he stacked the files. He wasn't indifferent. Not even close. a small knowing smirk played around her lips as she walked away.

Faith barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she replayed how Killian's arms felt around her. It wasn't just physical it was the way he looked at her, as if he were seeing a person instead of a piece of property.

 By 6:00 AM the next day, she was already dressed and heading to his study to clean. It was her routine, but today, she had a goal. She knew Killian had a breakfast meeting at the Pack Council. He would be gone for atleast three hours.

 The study was empty. The morning sun came through the windows and lit up the dust. Faith looked at the massive computer on his desk.

 She thought about the Silver Moon Scholarship. Back in the trenches, it had been her only dream. She had to know if the results were out. She had to know if her "Phoenix" project had even been noticed before her aunt drugged her.

 She sat in his chair, the leather still smelled like him, and woke the monitor. Her fingers flew across the keys, bypassing the basic guest login. She pulled up the competition portal.

 Status: Finalist Selection in Progress.

 She began typing, her heart racing. If she could just upload the final data set she had stored on a cloud drive, she might still have a chance. She was so absorbed in the code that she didn't hear the silent click of the door.

 "The archives are in the West Wing, Faith. My computer is not."

 Faith jumped up from the chair, her heart nearly

 Popped out of her throat. Killian was leaning against the doorframe. He wasn't at the Council. He was watching her.

 He walked over, his eyes scanning the screen. "The Silver Moon Scholarship? You're the one who submitted the 'Urban Phoenix' model?"

 Faith lowered her head, bracing for a lecture. "Yes."

 "The judges were talking about this at the gala last night," Killian said, his voice calm. "They said it was the work of a genius, but the applicant disappeared. They assumed it was a scam".

 He looked at her, Tell me "Why didn't you finish the final interview?"

 Faith felt the old sting of betrayal. "My aunt. She found my notes. She knew if I won, I'd be under the Council's protection and she couldn't use me as a servant anymore. So she destroyed my laptop and drugged my tea and sold me to the traffickers the night before the finals."

 The air in the room shifted. A low, vibrating growl started in Killian's chest-a sound of pure, protective fury.

 "She sold you," he repeated, his voice dangerously calm. "Because you were too brilliant to be kept in a cage."

 He reached over her shoulder, his hand clicking a few keys. He didn't close the tab. Instead, he opened a new window and typed in a high-level command.

 "What are you doing?" Faith asked.

 "Running a background check that goes deeper than school records," Killian muttered. I want to see exactly who gave the order to put you in that van.

 As the progress bar loaded, Killian looked down at her. "If you really want to finish this competition, you'll need more than a scholarship. You'll need a name that people are afraid to touch."

 The computer beeped. A file popped up: Confidential Transfer - 50,000 Credits. Killian's eyes darkened as he read the sender's name. "It wasn't just your aunt, Faith. This payment came from a hidden account linked to the Crescent Pack."

 Faith gasped. "Silas? But I don't even know him!"

 "Well, he knows you" Killian hissed, his grip tightening on the back of her chair. "And he's been planning this for a long time."He wants you removed from the board. Why? Faith asked. "Because he knew what your Phoenix project would do to his Monopoly on the energy sector".

 "He wants to break you before you realize how much power you have". 

 Killian's eyes still locked on the screen as he continued typing again."If Silas wants war over a 'Dud' I'll give him one. But first, you need to get ready because, You're going to that Academy and you will go as a Nightshade."

"You aren't cleaning my study anymore. As of tomorrow, you are an official student at the North Elite Academy."

Faith's eyes widened. "The... the academy? But I can't go there! I'm a Dud! It's for the top shifters in the country, they will kill me!".

"I'm an Alpha, Faith. I don't give suggestions," Killian said, his voice dropping into that bossy, authoritative tone. "I'm sending you there as my 'ward.' Your cover story is that your late parents were loyal friends of my family. The administration won't dare ask questions."

"But what about the competition? My scholarship-"

"Forget the scholarship," Killian interrupted, leaning over the desk. "You don't need their charity. Consider this an investment. I want that brain of yours in my tech division, and to get there, you need an elite degree. I'm paying the tuition. The debt of the car... we'll adjust the interest later."

He looked her up and down, his nose wrinkling. "But first, we have a problem. You look like you're about to go to a funeral." Follow me! Huh? To where? Faith muttered. Killian didn't answer instead he dragged her arm while he walked to his garage.

Three hours later, Faith stood in the center of the most exclusive boutique in the North City. The lighting was flattering, the floors were white marble, and the air smelled like money. 

"I have no idea what to choose," she admitted to the sales associate, who was looking at her simple, worn dress with poorly hidden disdain.

"Everything on that rack," Killian said, sweeping his hand toward the 'Limited Edition' collections. He was sitting in a high-backed leather chair, looking profoundly bored, but his gaze never left Faith. "She needs an entirely new wardrobe. Formal, casual, academic. If it doesn't cost more than a year's rent in the trenches, it's not for her."

He looked at the manager. "And get her out of that hideous thing she's wearing. She's a Nightshade ward now. Make her look like it."

A group of sales associates quickly ushered faith to the dressing room.For an hour, they draped her in fabrics she  never wore before or even know the names of. They painted her lips, brushed  and styled her hair until it looked like silk, and slipped her feet into designer shoes that made her feel ten feet tall.

When the curtain finally pulled open, Killian was mid-text. He looked up, and for the second time that week, the powerful Alpha completely forgot how to breathe.

Faith stood there, no longer looking like the tired orphan. She was wearing a perfectly tailored, midnight-blue cocktail dress that brought out the warmth in her skin. Her high cheekbones were highlighted, her soulful eyes large and capturing. The dress emphasized her subtle curves, curves her maid's uniform had hidden.

Killian's throat went dry. His wolf, which usually remained passive until challenged, let out a possessive, thunderous roar.she no longer smells of bleach. She now smelled of Rain and wild honey. It was her scent. The Dud's scent. And it was driving him crazy.

He stood up, his intense  gaze never left hers as He walked toward her, and for a split second, the polished concrete floor seemed to turn to grass. The mall sounds faded.

He reached out, his finger grazing her cheekbone, making her skin sizzle with that familiar electricity.

"I thought you said I was just an investment," Faith said softly, her breath catching as he leaned close.

Killian paused, his eyes glowing gold. "An investment is meant to appreciate in value, Faith," he murmured, his voice thick with a strained desire. "I didn't realize how quickly that would happen."

The next morning, the high tension between them had settled into a heavy, dynamic silence. Killian was driving her to the Academy in his new Rolls Royce, and Faith was gripping the handle of her sleek new backpack.

As they pulled up to the gates, a low vibration of sound hit the car. It wasn't music; it was the combined scent and noise of a thousand young, powerful shifters in one place.

Faith looked at the massive gothic building, her stomach churning. She was the only Dud. She had zero protection. Killian couldn't be inside the school with her.

"Faith," Killian said, pulling the car to a halt. He turned to her, his expression unusually serious. He handed her a silver bracelet-heavy and cool. "If anyone so much as looks at you wrong, you press that button. My guards are stationed in the nearby trees. I'll be here in two minutes."

He reached out and squeezed her hand. His hand was warm, grounding her. "You are smarter than they are, Faith. Use that. Let them underestimate you. And remember.... his voice dropped, "You belong to the Nightshade Alpha. Nobody touches you."

Faith walked through the massive gates alone. As she checked her schedule, a hand suddenly slammed onto her backpack , nearly making her drop it. A group of students surrounded her, led by the familiar scent of vanilla and expensive perfume.

Maya was standing there, surrounded by five powerful-looking wolves. She looked at Faith's elite new wardrobe, her new phone, and her confident posture, and her face contorted with jealousy.

"Look what the trash drug in," Maya sneered, her eyes glowing amber. "I heard you got lucky and found a fancy sponsor, Dud. But did your sponsor tell you that in this school, we take 'investment' strictly ? It's hunting season."