Tahra returned just in time, relieved to see that her absence had gone unnoticed by her colleagues. She quickly slipped back into her routine, maintaining a composed demeanor as the border officer who was taking over arrived. The weight of her secret with Zane clung to her, but she was confident she had covered her tracks.
Unbeknownst to her, Arshe had not let her out of his sight. Though he was no longer physically close, he had placed someone to watch her every move. As soon as the burly man, cloaked in darkness, entered Arshe's quarters, he was greeted with a single word.
"Report!" Arshe's voice was cold and sharp, filled with a restrained fury that barely concealed his growing rage. The man knelt, bowing low, his head almost touching the ground in deference.
"I watched her just like you ordered," the man began, his tone steady. "Alpha Zane indeed showed up, just as you predicted."
