Caught by the Mad Alpha King Chapter 260: Site visit

"About your friend," the priest said. "Christopher."

Ethan’s fingers tightened around the rim of the hard hat, knuckles whitening for just a second before he forced them to relax. He tilted his head, letting confusion settle into his expression.

"Christopher?" he repeated mildly, as if testing the na for relevance. "You’re going to have to be more specific. That’s a common enough na. And before we go any further, you should probably tell who you are and why you’re looking for him." A pause, deliberate. "Those feel like the basics."

The priest looked at him for a long ti, his eyes calm in a way that seed curated rather than natural.

"You’re careful," he observed.

Ethan shrugged, shifting his weight slightly, casual to anyone watching. "I work with structures that fail if you skip steps. It carries over."

That earned him a faint smile.

"Very well," the priest said. "I am Father Alaric. And I am not here on official summons, nor with hostile intent." He inclined his head again. "I only wish to ask questions."

"About soone you won’t fully identify," Ethan replied. "At my worksite."

"Yes."

"That’s... not reassuring."

Alaric’s gaze flicked briefly toward the dam again, as if asuring the distance between pressure and restraint.

"Christopher is... anomalous," he said finally. "In ways that predate Saha. The Crown rely made him visible."

Ethan’s jaw set. "You’re being vague."

"Intentionally," Alaric replied calmly. "Directness encourages defenses. I prefer observation."

Ethan nodded as if that made sense. It didn’t, but nodding cost him nothing. He reached into his pocket under the pretense of adjusting his jacket, thumb already moving across his phone screen for the record button he prepared eariler.

Before coming to et the priest, Ethan had sent two ssages: one for Chris, ’a priest here, asking about you.’

And second to Fitzgeralt’s contact, ’there is a Church rep at the dam site. Asking about Christopher. Feels wrong.’

"So," Ethan said lightly, "let save us both so ti. I’m not a historian. I’m not clergy. And I’m definitely not qualified to comnt on whatever you think my forr coworker represents." He shrugged, purposely dismissive. "If you’re here, I assu you already know more than I do."

Alaric watched him closely now.

"Christopher disappeared after a part-ti job at the Fitzgeralt wedding," Ethan continued, tone carefully casual. "Later I found out, through the dia, by the way, that he’s a dominant oga and marrying the King of Saha." He huffed a short, bitter laugh. "I didn’t even hear it from him."

That was a lie, but Ethan would rather lose a limb than betray Chris.

"I don’t think he was really my friend." Ethan went on, gaze drifting away for a mont as if unsettled by the thought. "He hid too much from ."

The priest studied him in silence.

"That is unfortunate," Alaric said at last. "Secrecy isolates people."

"You would know best, wouldn’t you, Father?" Ethan replied, a thin edge cutting through the bitterness in his smile. It wasn’t an accusation so much as an observation.

Alaric’s bronze gaze sharpened. "I deserved that," he admitted smoothly. "And I understand the reticence. But, Mr. Miller, we are aware that you spoke with His Excellency, the Grand Duke of Fitzgeralt, after discovering Christopher’s apartnt."

For a fraction of a second, sothing cold slid down Ethan’s spine.

He didn’t let it show.

His smile stayed exactly where it was. Years of site etings, budget overruns, and bureaucratic nonsense had trained him well. Internally panicking while externally calm was practically a job requirent.

"Father Alaric," Ethan said evenly, "are you telling you’ve been watching ?"

He didn’t give the priest ti to answer.

"Yes," Ethan continued, tone casual, almost bored. "I was made to et the Grand Duke. Because a civilian apartnt was torn apart, and my na happened to be attached to the lease." He made a vague gesture with his free hand. "He wanted to know more about Chris. Sa as you."

Alaric’s expression didn’t change, but sothing in his posture tightened.

"And?" the priest prompted.

"And he’s a politician," Ethan said bluntly. "Which ans he wants leverage. On Saha. On Palatine. On anyone who breathes too close to a crown." He shrugged. "That’s not a revelation. That’s a job description for anyone that holds even a fraction of a title."

"That’s a very cynical view," Alaric said mildly.

"It’s an accurate one," Ethan replied. "The difference is, the Grand Duke didn’t show up at my worksite in religious robes pretending this was about concern."

Alaric studied him for a long mont, eyes no longer rely curious, his right hand tightening on the edge of his robe sleeve.

"You misunderstand us," the priest said quietly. "The Church does not seek leverage."

"No," Ethan agreed with a short nod. "You seek patterns."

Silence stretched.

"Patterns don’t care about people," Ethan went on, voice steady. "They turn people into data points, warnings, and, certainly, case studies." He tilted his head. "Chris isn’t a case."

Alaric exhaled slowly, as if conceding sothing other than defeat, such as annoyance.

"You are loyal," he said, his silver-streaked brown hair ruffled by the wind. "Even now."

"I’m human," Ethan replied. "That used to an sothing."

The priest looked at him for a long ti, longer than was polite.

"Christopher stands at a convergence," Alaric said finally. "Political, biological, and historical. That kind of intersection does not remain quiet."

"That’s still not my problem," Ethan said. "And it’s definitely not yours."

Alaric’s lips curved faintly. "You believe that because you think the danger is external."

Ethan didn’t rise to it. "I believe it because you’re standing here talking instead of acting."

That earned him a real pause.

"You should be careful," Alaric said at last. "You’re closer to this than you realize."

Ethan adjusted his grip on the hard hat, grounding himself in the familiar weight.

"And you should be careful," he replied. "Because the last people who treated Chris like a phenonon instead of a person had to confront a king with possessiveness issues."

"Good day." Father Alaric said and left without hesitation.