David sat stiffly in the chair across from Rowen’s desk, his eyes fixated on a stack of documents in front of him. The familiar weight of tension sat heavy on his chest, a gnawing discomfort that hadn’t left since their conversation at Arthur’s estate. Rowen was pacing his office, barking orders into his phone, but David barely noticed. His thoughts were spiraling, replaying everything that had been said, and more importantly, everything that hadn’t.

After Rowen put his phone away, silence filled the room like a thick fog. Rowen was at his desk, eyes scanning a document, though David doubted he was truly reading it. The stillness wasn’t comforting; it felt like a dam about to break. David’s fingers drummed lightly against his knee, the rhythmic tapping doing little to calm his pulse as he waited for Rowen to speak.

Finally, Rowen leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. His sharp gaze landed on David, cutting through the silence. “That meeting… I’m not sure what to make of it,” he said, his voice measured, but there was a hard edge to it. “What’s your take on all this? Especially on Arthur and Theo?”

David hesitated. His mind churned as he tried to process the meeting, the way Theo had seemed so composed. He had been cooperative, concerned even. But the nagging doubt still remained, tied to something that felt wrong—his conversation with Alester.

His thoughts drifted back to the Vampire Underground, to Alester’s warning. It had seemed clear at the time, but now, in the aftermath of everything, David felt like something wasn’t quite right. The edges of the memory were blurry, like puzzle pieces that didn’t quite fit. Still, Alester’s words haunted him.

He let out a slow breath, forcing himself to speak. “Honestly? I’m not sure we can trust Theo,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight of the admission.

Rowen’s eyebrow lifted, his attention sharpening. “Why?” he asked, probing for more. “Did something feel off to you in the meeting?”

David frowned, trying to untangle his thoughts. “It wasn’t the meeting,” he said slowly, “but something Alester told me before all this. He warned me about Theo.”

Rowen leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. “What did Alester say?”

David swallowed, the uneasy feeling of the memory still gnawing at him. “He said Theo is dangerous. That he has ties to Lucian, and we shouldn’t trust him.”

Rowen’s expression darkened, his gaze thoughtful. He didn’t respond right away, his mind clearly calculating. David could see the gears turning behind his eyes, weighing the possibilities. “That’s troubling,” Rowen said at last, his voice low. “I didn’t get that from Theo during the meeting. He seemed… careful. Cautious, but not deceptive.”

David nodded, though the doubt still lingered. “I didn’t sense it either,” he admitted, “but if Alester says it’s true…”

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Rowen leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I trust Alester’s judgment,” he said quietly. “If he’s saying Theo’s a threat, we can’t ignore it.”

David’s hands tightened into fists in his lap, his knuckles white. His protective instincts flared. “Theo’s too close to Elena. If Alester’s right and Theo plans to use her—to manipulate the bond—we need to get her away from him.”

Rowen let out a deep sigh, rubbing a hand down his face. “I don’t want to jump into a rescue mission just yet. The bond will strengthen quickly, but she might come to us on her own once she feels its effects.”

David nodded, though his heart ached at the thought. His relationship with Elena was still strained, and there was no guarantee she would say anything to him at all. The bond with the artifact, if it was being manipulated by the Noctrachs, would only strain things further.

“We need to act soon,” David said quietly, his voice tinged with urgency. “I want to bring her under our protection before it’s too late. The bond’s going to get worse, and I don’t think we can trust her to come to us in time.”

Rowen glanced at David, his eyes narrowing slightly. “I get it,” he said after a long pause. “But we can’t afford to be hasty. Let’s monitor the situation for now. Stay close to your sister. Help them track down the other fragments of the artifact and see if you can gage Theo’s intentions. We’ll make a move when the time is right.”

David clenched his fists tighter, frustration gnawing at him, but he gave a small nod. “I don’t like waiting,” he muttered.

“I know,” Rowen said, his voice softening slightly. “But we have to be smart about this. If we act too soon, we risk making things worse. Elena’s bond with the artifact is dangerous, but she’s not in immediate danger—yet.”

David stayed silent for a moment, his mind spinning. He knew Rowen was right, but the idea of leaving Elena so exposed, so vulnerable, ate at him. He wanted to protect her, but more than that, he wanted to save her from the inevitable danger of the bond. He hated the thought of waiting for her to fall further into the grip of the artifact before doing something.

Then, as if to distract himself, David shifted the conversation. “There’s something else,” he said, his voice low. “When I went to speak with Alester… something was off.”

Rowen’s brow furrowed, his attention sharpening again. “What do you mean?”

David leaned forward slightly, his thoughts returning to that encounter. “Alester didn’t look good. I think... it might be time to rotate him out.”

Rowen’s eyes narrowed, his expression thoughtful. “You think his judgment is compromised?”

David hesitated, not wanting to question Alester’s reliability, but he couldn’t ignore what he’d seen. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But something was wrong. He looked worn, like the Underground has been taking a toll on him. It might be time to pull him out before it affects his decisions.”

Rowen was silent for a moment, considering David’s words. Then, with a slow nod, he leaned back in his chair. “I’ll look into it. If Alester’s health is deteriorating, we can’t risk leaving him in a position where his judgment could be compromised.”

David let out a small breath of relief, though the weight of his earlier thoughts still pressed down on him. “I just don’t want to lose anyone else,” he said softly.

Rowen’s expression softened briefly. “Neither do I,” he said. “It’s your call David. You’re the senior field officer now. If you want to pull him out, then do it.”