Chained to the Enemy Alpha

Lily looked down nervously at all the information she had spread across the large oakwood table. Her heart hammered against her ribs. After nights of reading the book Hunter had given her, she'd finally gathered enough information to share with Zayn and Ezra.

She glanced up as the door opened. Zayn entered first, his powerful frame filling the doorway. Ezra followed close behind, his expression curious.

"You wanted to see us?" Zayn's deep voice sent a shiver down her spine.

Lily nodded, gesturing to the chairs she'd positioned across from her. As they settled in, she took a steadying breath and began signing.

'I found information about the crystal totems,' she signed, her movements precise and confident.

Ezra's brows were furrowed. He'd recently begun to learn sign language, but was inexperienced compared to Zayn, who watched her carefully. To make things simpler, she handed them notes she'd prepared.

She flipped the leather-bound book to the first marked page, revealing detailed illustrations of various crystal shapes. She pushed it toward them, pointing to her neatly written notes beside it.

'The crystal totems come in different shapes and colors, each with specific meanings and uses,' she explained. 'There are five tiers based on rarity.'

She flipped to another page showing a chart she'd created.

'The most common ones are of simple shapes like spheres or stars. They're usually red, green, or blue.'

Zayn leaned forward, studying the illustrations. "And what do these colors mean?"

Lily turned the page to where she'd copied the information from Hunter's book.

'Red crystals are for offense. Some allow users to fire magical projectiles,' she signed. 'Green is for healing, and blue can be used to create defensive barriers.'

"This is more detailed than anything we've found before," Ezra commented, examining her notes. "What about these rarer colors?"

Lily nodded eagerly, flipping to another section.

'Yellow grants glimpses of the future. Purple creates explosions. Orange enhances speed temporarily.'

She continued explaining the various types, watching their expressions grow more intrigued with each revelation. She reached the final page of her notes.

'The rarest are the black and white crystals. However, there isn't much information on what they can do. Some suggest they can lift curses and heal. But we don't have enough to go off on right now.'

A heavy silence filled the room as Zayn and Ezra processed this information. Zayn's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her.

"This is amazing. With the crystal totems, we can strengthen our borders," Ezra pointed out excitedly.

"We will need to test these theories first," Zayn reminded, "There's no telling how strong they actually are."

Ezra and Lily nodded along.

"Where did you find this book?" Zayn's voice was casual, but Lily tensed immediately.

She lowered her gaze to her hands. This was the question she'd been dreading.

'In the forest vault,' she signed quickly. 'Hidden behind some other books.'

"The forest vault?" Zayn repeated, his tone deceptively light. "You're certain that's where you found it?"

Lily nodded firmly, still avoiding his piercing gaze. She felt her pulse quickening.

"Interesting," Zayn murmured. He turned to Ezra. "Could you get us some refreshments? There's still a lot of information for us to go through."

Ezra nodded, rising from his chair. "Of course, Alpha."

The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving Lily alone with Zayn. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words.

Zayn stood slowly, circling the table until he stood directly beside her chair. Lily kept her eyes fixed on the book, afraid to meet his gaze.

His fingers gently gripped her chin, tilting her face up to his. "Look at me, Lily."

She had no choice but to meet his intense stare. His eyes searched hers, looking for the truth she was hiding.

"I'm going to ask you again," he said softly, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "Are you certain you found this book in the forest vault? The same place you previously told me you couldn't find anything useful?"

Lily swallowed hard. Her hands trembled slightly as she tried to respond, but Zayn caught them in his.

Without warning, he pulled her into his embrace, his arms wrapping around her securely. His warmth surrounded her, comforting despite her anxiety.

"Tell me the truth," he whispered against her hair. "Please, Lily. No more lies between us."

His gentleness broke something inside her. She pulled back just enough to sign.

'I'm sorry for lying,' she began, her movements small and hesitant. 'I didn't want you to get the wrong idea.'

"Stop apologizing," Zayn said, his voice firm but kind. "I just want the truth."

Lily nodded, gathering her courage.

'Hunter brought me the book,' she confessed, watching his expression carefully. 'He came to me a few nights ago.'

A flicker of emotion passed across Zayn's face. It wasn't anger as she'd expected, but disappointment. He stepped back slightly, creating space between them.

"I'm not angry, Lily," he said quietly. "Just disappointed that you felt you needed to hide this from me."

Guilt twisted in her stomach. She hadn't expected this reaction, hadn't prepared for the hurt evident in his eyes.

'I thought you would be mad that I spoke with Hunter again,' she signed.

"I understand you still have reservations," Zayn replied. "But for us to work, for us to have any chance together, we need to be honest with each other. No more secrets."

Lily nodded, feeling ashamed.

'No more secrets,' She repeated his words to show she agreed, 'There's something I need to show you.'

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the silver coin Hunter had given her, holding it out for Zayn to see.

'He gave me this coin,' she explained. 'Said I could use it if I ever wanted to leave the pack.'

Zayn stared at the coin but made no move to take it from her.

"Have you thought about using it?"

'Not anymore,' she signed truthfully. She moved to toss the coin aside, but Zayn caught her wrist.

"Keep it," he said. "It could prove useful in your time of need."

Confusion flickered across her face, but she nodded and slipped the coin back into her pocket.

'Can I ask you something?' she signed hesitantly.

"Of course."

'Were you following me that night? When I met Hunter?'

Zayn's expression hardened momentarily before he caught himself. He ran a hand through his dark hair and nodded.

"Yes," he admitted. "I was."

'Why didn't you stop me?' Lily questioned. 'Why didn't you intervene?'

"I would have jumped in without hesitation if Hunter had tried to harm you," Zayn explained, his eyes never leaving hers. "But he didn't. And I… I wanted to see what you would do."

He stepped closer again, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. His touch was gentle, his eyes softer than she'd ever seen them.

"I never want to hurt you again, Lily," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion.

Before she could respond, he leaned down and captured her lips in a tender kiss. Despite everything, she found herself responding, her hands coming up to rest against his chest.

But even as she melted into his embrace, an uneasiness remained in her heart. There were still so many things unsaid between them, so many barriers to overcome.

A sharp knock at the door forced them to pull apart quickly. Zayn cleared his throat.

"Enter," he called, his voice remarkably steady.

Ezra stepped in, but instead of refreshments, he held a sealed envelope in his hands. The royal crest gleamed in red wax on the front.

"This just arrived," Ezra said, extending the envelope to Zayn.

Zayn took it, breaking the seal with a quick motion. His eyes scanned the contents, his expression darkening with each passing second.

"What is it?" Ezra asked, noticing the change.

Zayn looked up, his gaze meeting Lily's before shifting to Ezra.

"It's a royal invitation," he said grimly. "To the Capital's Annual Crystal Moon Ball."