21. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Bane

“ L et’s get one thing clear,” I say, my voice steady but brimming with authority as I look around the room. “There’s a traitor in this pack, and I want them found. Now.”

The men seated around the table nod in unison. These are the best and most trusted members of my inner circle: the head guards, the strongest warriors, and, of course, Rook.

I glance at him as he leans against the far wall, arms crossed, his sharp eyes scanning the group.

Rook tilts his head. “Aria’s message didn’t exactly leave us with a list of suspects, did it?” he says, his tone light but cutting. “Just the word ‘traitor’ scrawled out like she didn’t have time to finish. Makes you wonder how close danger was when she sent it.”

I bristle at the thought, but he’s right. The message had been rushed, almost incoherent. I clench my fists, the words still burning in my mind.

“She had to be desperate to risk sending that,” I mutter, pacing the length of the room. “And now she’s out there, vulnerable, with that bastard.”

One of the guards, Markus, clears his throat. “Alpha, if Vittorio has a spy in our ranks, we need to proceed carefully. Any sudden moves, and we tip them off. They could warn him.”

“I’m aware,” I snap, then take a deep breath. “That’s why we’re here—to figure out how to expose them and bring Aria and Elias home without giving away our hand.”

Rook pushes off the wall and steps closer to the table. “We can start by tightening the net. Double patrols, restrict movement, and limit access to sensitive information. Only this room—” he gestures to the group “—gets updates on the plan.”

Markus nods. “Agreed. But what about the pack? People are going to notice something’s wrong if we start locking things down.”

“Let them notice,” I growl. “Let them whisper. If the traitor gets nervous, they’ll slip up. And when they do…” I trail off, the promise of retribution clear in my tone.

Another guard, Tobias, shifts uncomfortably. “Do we have any leads on who it might be?”

Silence falls over the room, heavy.

Rook breaks it with a pointed comment. “It wouldn’t be the first time Vittorio’s meddling cost someone their life.”

My jaw tightens, and I glare at him. He doesn’t say her name—Alessia—but he doesn’t have to.

“Careful, Rook,” I warn, my voice low.

“Just saying, the man has a history. Aria’s not the first person he’s tried to manipulate into submission. And if he’s got someone here feeding him intel, it’s not just her life on the line. It’s all of ours.”

I slam my fist against the table, the wood groaning under the pressure. “We don’t have time to debate this. Aria’s life is on the line.”

Tobias narrows his eyes, his voice calmer than mine but no less firm. “And rushing in blindly won’t help her, Alpha. You need to think this through.”

“Think this through?” My voice comes out as a growl, my wolf clawing at the surface. “She’s in Vittorio’s hands. I won’t sit here while he tightens his grip.”

Tobias speaks up again. “And how do we plan to do that, Alpha? If we start accusing people without proof, we risk turning the pack against each other. It could cause more harm than good.”

“We’re not accusing anyone yet,” I reply. “But we are watching. I want every interaction, every conversation, every move scrutinized. If anyone so much as looks suspicious, I want to know about it.”

Markus frowns. “What about Nathaniel?”

The room goes silent again. The elder’s name hangs in the air like a challenge.

Rook raises an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You mean the wise and noble Nathaniel? Surely he’d never stoop to such treachery.”

“Enough,” I snap, though my own doubts about Nathaniel linger. “We don’t point fingers without evidence. Keep an eye on him, but discreetly. If he’s involved, we’ll know soon enough.”

Rook chuckles softly. “Discreet isn’t exactly your strong suit, Bane.”

I shoot him a glare, and he wisely shuts up.

Tobias clears his throat again. “Alpha, if I may… what about Luna Aria and Elias? Do we have any leads on where Vittorio might be holding them?”

I stop pacing and face the group. “No solid leads yet. But we know Vittorio’s patterns. He doesn’t stray far from his strongholds, and he’s too arrogant to think we’d dare come after him.”

Markus nods. “Then we focus on his usual haunts. Send scouts to every location we know he’s used before. If he’s hiding Luna Aria and Elias, we’ll find them.”

“And what if we don’t?” Tobias asks quietly.

I don’t answer immediately. The thought of failure, of not bringing them back, is one I can’t afford to entertain.

“We will,” I say finally, my voice hard. “Failure isn’t an option.”

Rook steps closer, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Bane, if this traitor is as close as we think, they’ll know what we’re planning. We can’t make any moves until we’re sure we’ve plugged the leak. Otherwise, we’re walking into a trap.”

I nod, hating how much sense he makes. “Then we move fast. Lock down the pack, isolate the traitor, and hit Vittorio before he sees us coming.”

Markus and Tobias exchange a look before nodding in agreement.

Rook smirks. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s just hope it doesn’t blow up in our faces.”

I glare at him, and he holds up his hands in mock surrender.

As the meeting begins to wind down, a knock at the door interrupts us. One of the junior guards steps in, his expression tense.

“Alpha,” he says, his voice shaking slightly. “There’s been a development.”

“What now?” I growl, turning toward the door. The heated discussion among my trusted men halts as the junior guard steps into the room, his face pale and his eyes darting nervously.

“Alpha,” he begins, his voice shaky. “There’s… news about Luna Aria.”

My chest tightens. “Speak,” I command, my tone sharper than intended.

He swallows hard, standing stiffly under the weight of my glare. “Vittorio has announced her engagement, more like marriage.”

For a moment, I don’t register his words. “Her what?” I hiss, my hands clenching into fists at my sides.

The guard shifts uneasily. “Her wedding, Alpha. It’s set to take place in a week.”

The room falls deathly silent, the air thick with tension. My mind races, thoughts spiraling out of control.

Rook is the first to break the silence. “That bastard’s marrying her off?” His tone is incredulous. “What kind of sick—”

“Enough,” I snap, cutting him off. “Who’s the man?”

The guard hesitates. “I… I don’t know, Alpha. Vittorio hasn’t revealed his name yet. But it’s someone he trusts. Someone who’s agreed to take in Elias as well.”

A low growl rumbles in my chest. The idea of Aria being forced into a marriage—to anyone—makes my blood boil. And Elias? My son? Being handed over like some afterthought?

“I should’ve seen this coming,” I mutter, pacing the length of the room. My hands run through my hair, tugging at the strands as frustration mounts.

Markus, one of my head guards, steps forward cautiously. “Alpha, this could be a power move. Vittorio’s trying to secure control over Aria and her child. If he succeeds…”

“He won’t succeed,” I snarl, my voice echoing through the room. “I won’t let him.”

Rook crosses his arms, his expression grim. “You’re acting like you have time to spare, Bane.”

Those words hit harder than I want to admit. Is Rook right? Have I waited too long, assuming I could handle this at my own pace?

“She wouldn’t go through with it,” I say, more to myself than anyone else.

“Wouldn’t she?” Rook challenges, raising an eyebrow. “You’ve been ignoring the bond for years. You’ve kept her at arm’s length, refusing to claim her. And now, she’s alone, surrounded by enemies, with no one to protect her or Elias. What choice does she have?”

The truth of his words is a knife to the gut.

Markus shifts uncomfortably, not used to seeing me talk like that. “Alpha, we need to act quickly. If this marriage takes place, it’ll solidify Vittorio’s hold on her. Even if we manage to rescue her afterward, the damage might already be done.”

I slam my fist on the table, the wood groaning under the force. “She’s mine,” I growl. “And that child—my child—will not grow up under Vittorio’s control.”

“Then what’s the plan?” Tobias, another trusted guard, asks. “We can’t just barge into Vittorio’s territory without a strategy. We need to think this through.”

“We don’t have time to think,” I snap, my patience wearing thin. “We move now.”

“Move where?” Rook asks, his tone sharp. “We don’t even know where she is. What’s the point of charging in blind and getting yourself killed? Or worse—getting her killed?”

I glare at him, but deep down, I know he’s right. Charging in without a plan would only make things worse.

“Then we find her,” I say, my voice calmer but no less determined. “We find her, we stop this, and we bring her and Elias home.”

The guard who brought the news hesitates, then speaks up again. “Alpha… there’s one more thing.”

“What is it?” I ask, my patience fraying.

“There was also information that Luna Aria didn’t agree to the engagement willingly. But…” He trails off, his expression troubled.

“But what?” I press, my chest tightening.

“They said Vittorio threatened her—threatened Elias. That’s why she gave in.”

The room erupts into low murmurs, anger rippling through my men. My vision blurs with rage.

“That son of a bitch,” I growl, slamming my fist into the table again. The wood splinters under the force, but I don’t care.

Rook steps forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Bane, focus. Aria’s holding on, but she won’t last much longer.”

“I’m aware,” I snap, shrugging off his hand.

Markus clears his throat. “Alpha, I suggest we send scouts to Vittorio’s known territories. If we can pinpoint her location, we can plan a swift extraction.”

“We don’t have time for scouts,” I say. “We need to act now.”

“Barging in blind is a death sentence,” Rook argues. “For you and for her.”

I clench my fists, struggling to keep my temper in check. “Then what do you suggest?”

“We split our forces,” Rook says. “Send a small team to recon Vittorio’s territory while the rest of us prepare for a full-scale assault. Once we know where she is, we strike fast and hard.”

It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s better than charging in blind. I nod. “Fine. Markus, Tobias, you’re with me. Rook, take a team and start the recon. I want eyes on every one of Vittorio’s strongholds by nightfall.”

Rook nods. “Consider it done.”

As the men begin to disperse, preparing to carry out their orders, I stay behind, staring at the splintered table.

“She’s marrying someone else,” I mutter, the words tasting like poison.

Rook, who hasn’t left yet, pauses. “Not if you stop it,” he says simply.

I don’t respond, my mind swirling with guilt and anger. I should’ve claimed her when I had the chance. I should’ve made her mine long ago. Instead, I’ve pushed her away, and now she’s paying the price.

“She deserves better,” I mutter, more to myself than anyone else.

“Then give her better,” Rook says, his tone uncharacteristically soft. “But you’d better hurry, Bane. Time’s running out.”

He leaves the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I stare at the broken table, my heart heavy.

Just then Markus returns, his face pale.

“Alpha,” he says, his voice urgent. “We’ve got her location.”

My heart pounds. “Where?”

Markus hesitates, then says, “She’s in Vittorio’s northern estate. And Alpha… the engagement ceremony is scheduled to start at sunrise.”

My blood runs cold. Sunrise is only hours away.

“Then we move now,” I growl, storming out of the room.