23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Bane

" L ong time no see, brother-in-law."

I grab Vittorio by the neck before the smug smirk on his face can even fully form. His guards tense, their weapons trained on Elias, whose small, terrified cries cut through the chaos. Aria’s fiancé has her in a vice grip, his fingers digging cruelly into her arm as she struggles against him.

“You’ll want to think very carefully about your next move, Alpha,” Vittorio rasps, his voice strained but taunting. His lips curl into a dark smile, even as my fingers press harder against his throat.

“One wrong twitch, and your precious boy over there won’t see another sunrise.”

I glance at Elias, held by two of Vittorio’s guards. His tiny chest rises and falls rapidly, tears streaming down his cheeks. The sight makes my blood boil.

“You breathe one more threat against him, and I’ll snap your neck,” I growl, tightening my grip slightly.

Vittorio chuckles despite the pressure.

“Still temperamental, I see. Alessia always said you couldn’t control that anger of yours. Maybe that’s why she never wanted to stay with you for long.”

My vision blurs red. “Don’t you dare speak her name.”

“Why not?” he mocks, his steel-blue eyes gleaming with malice. “You’ve been holding onto her memory for years, haven’t you? Poor little Bane, blaming me for her death when, deep down, you know she feared you just as much as she feared the world. She would’ve left you behind eventually.”

I slam him against the nearest wall, the crack of the plaster echoing through the room. Vittorio grunts but doesn’t lose his composure. His guards shift uneasily, clearly waiting for the command to end Elias’s life.

Aria screams. “Stop it! You’re going to get Elias killed!”

I don’t dare loosen my grip. “Say it again, Vittorio. I want to hear you choke on your lies.”

Vittorio smirks. “Lies? Alessia told me herself that you couldn’t protect her. She came to me that night, begging for a way out—”

“She came to you because you rejected her!” I roar. “You were her mate, and you turned her away like she was nothing!”

“True,” Vittorio says casually, though his voice cracks slightly under the pressure on his throat.

My claws extend, digging into his skin. “You don’t deserve to live.”

“Careful,” he wheezes. “The boy is still alive, for now. Are you willing to gamble his life for your pride?”

I hate that he’s right. His guards are watching my every move, ready to strike at the first sign of his distress. My only advantage is keeping him pinned.

“You want to know something else?” Vittorio adds, his tone oily.

“Aria walked to me willingly. She begged me to take her in. She handed herself over without a fight.”

“That’s not true!” Aria shouts, her voice trembling with fury. “You manipulated me! You forced me!”

Vittorio barely glances at her, keeping his eyes locked on mine. “Believe what you want, Bane. But she’s here, isn’t she? And she’s wearing the dress I chose for her. Getting ready to marry the man I approved of.”

I look at Aria, her tear-streaked face filled with defiance despite the iron grip of her so-called fiancé. She shakes her head slightly, her silent plea cutting through the noise in my head.

“You’re nothing but a coward,” I snarl at Vittorio. “You’ve spent your entire life hiding behind manipulation and lies, tearing down anyone who challenges you. But this ends now.”

“Does it?” he croaks, though his smug grin never falters. “Because from where I’m standing—or hanging—it seems I’m still in control. Look around, Alpha. Your mate is in another man’s arms, your son is at my mercy, and you’re stuck trying to play hero.”

I squeeze his neck harder, watching as his face reddens slightly. “Vittorio. You’re not walking out of this alive.”

“Maybe,” he chokes out. “But neither are they if you don’t start listening.”

Behind me, one of my men growls. “Alpha, we need a plan. They’re heavily armed, and the kid—”

“Shut up!” I bark, my voice like a whip.

Vittorio laughs, a hoarse and broken sound. “Still barking orders, I see. Just like a mutt. That’s all you are, Bane—a feral dog pretending to lead.”

I ignore his words, focusing on Aria. “I’m getting you out of here,” I promise her. “I’m getting both of you out.”

She nods, tears streaming down her face. “Just don’t let them hurt Elias.”

Vittorio clicks his tongue. “Touching. But you forgot, Aria. I own you. I own both of you. And there’s nothing your precious Alpha can do about it.”

“Enough!” I roar, slamming him against the wall again. This time, he coughs violently, his smug demeanor cracking for just a moment.

But then his grin returns. “Go ahead, kill me. But you’ll never find out who in your pack betrayed you.”

My grip falters slightly.

“That’s right,” he says, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial tone. “Someone you trust, someone close to you, has been feeding me information for months. And you never suspected a thing.”

I want to crush him right then and there, to silence his poison forever. But I can’t risk Elias. Not yet.

“You’re going to die for this,” I say, my voice deadly calm. “But not before I burn your entire world to the ground.”

Vittorio smiles, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “I’d like to see you try.”

"Who is the traitor, Vittorio?" I demand, tightening my grip on his neck until his face reddens further.

Vittorio gives a sickening chuckle, even as he gasps for air. "What’s the fun in just telling you, Bane? You’d enjoy it too much if I made it easy."

“You’re out of games,” I growl. “Tell me now, or I swear—”

“Swear all you want,” he rasps. “But you don’t want the answer, do you? Not really. It’ll destroy what little faith you have left in those pathetic wolves of yours.”

His words make my stomach churn. I glance at my men briefly, their tense expressions reflecting the same doubt clawing at my mind. I see Aria’s fiancé gripping her even tighter, smirking as he watches the scene unfold. Elias whimpers, and the guards holding him seem to revel in the boy’s fear.

“Speak, Vittorio,” I hiss, my claws digging into his neck. Blood trickles where I pierce his skin. “Who. Is. The. Traitor?”

Vittorio wheezes a laugh, his eyes glinting with malice. “Oh, you’re going to love this one. The esteemed, loyal, regal Nathaniel. Your trusted Elder. Your Council head.”

The room falls silent, except for Elias’s muffled cries.

Nathaniel?

I freeze, momentarily stunned. Around me, my men exchange glances, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and reluctant realization.

“Impossible,” one of them mutters.

Another growls lowly.

I shove Vittorio harder into the wall, his laughter sputtering as he coughs. “You’re lying,” I snarl, though doubt begins seeping into my voice.

“Am I?” Vittorio says hoarsely, still grinning despite the blood trickling from his lips. “You don’t trust me, Bane, but think about it. Think about all the times he disappeared conveniently. The information I got—who else could’ve given it to me?”

“Lies,” I spit, though my grip falters slightly.

A slow clap echoes through the room, and I turn to see Nathaniel step into the room, a twisted smile on his face.

“Well, I suppose the game’s up, isn’t it?” Nathaniel says smoothly, his voice dripping with mockery. “Bravo, Vittorio. Your theatrics are always entertaining.”

Shock and anger ripple through the room. My men growl, stepping back instinctively as Nathaniel moves forward, his posture calm yet menacing.

“Nathaniel,” I say, my voice a low warning. “Tell me this isn’t true.”

“Oh, it’s true,” he says, tilting his head with a deranged glint in his eyes. “Why so surprised, Alpha? You’ve always underestimated me, haven’t you? Always thought you were better, stronger. But the truth is, you’re weak. Pathetic.”

I drop Vittorio unceremoniously to the floor, his body slumping as he coughs and gasps for breath. My full focus is now on Nathaniel.

“You betrayed your pack,” I say, my voice deadly calm. “You betrayed me.”

“I didn’t betray my pack,” Nathaniel says sharply. “I saved it—from you. You think you’re some great leader, but you’re blinded by sentimentality. You’ve let your temper rule you, and worse, you’ve let her,” he points at Aria, “a human, weaken you. She’s not fit to be Luna, Bane. She’s a disgrace to everything we stand for.”

“You’ve lost your mind,” I say.

“No, Bane,” he snarls. “I’ve gained clarity. You’re unworthy of this pack, unworthy of the power you wield. And now, I’m here to take what’s rightfully mine.”

My claws extend instinctively as I step forward. “Aria is my mate, Nathaniel. That’s none of your concern.”

“She concerns me because she’s a liability!” Nathaniel roars, his calm demeanor cracking as his eyes flash with unhinged fury. “You think the pack will respect a Luna who isn’t even one of us? You think they’ll follow a leader who lets emotions cloud his judgment? No, Bane. They deserve better. They deserve me.”

The derision in his voice, the sheer audacity, makes my blood boil. “You don’t get to decide what the pack deserves,” I say. “And you sure as hell don’t get to take what’s mine.”

Nathaniel laughs darkly, his hands flexing as his claws emerge. “Then stop me.”

The challenge is clear, and I don’t hesitate. With a snarl, I lunge at him, our bodies colliding with the force of a thunderstorm. My claws rake across his chest, drawing blood as he howls and slashes back, catching my arm.

Around us, chaos erupts. My men engage Vittorio’s guards, the sound of clashing bodies and growls filling the air.

“You’ve always been predictable,” Nathaniel taunts, dodging my next strike with infuriating ease. “All brute strength, no strategy.”

I freeze for a split second, his words hitting a nerve. He uses the moment to land a blow to my ribs, knocking the wind out of me.

My claws graze his cheek, leaving deep gashes that ooze blood.

I grab him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. “You don’t get to speak about them. Not now, not ever.”

Nathaniel claws at my hand, his strength waning as I tighten my grip. “Go ahead,” he chokes. “Kill me. Prove to everyone how unfit you are to lead.”

I snarl, my claws piercing his skin.

I slam him into the ground with enough force to crack the stone beneath him. His body goes limp, and his eyes dim as the life drains from him.

I stand over his lifeless form, my chest heaving, blood dripping from my wounds. Around me, the fighting ceases as Vittorio’s men, seeing their leader subdued and their supposed savior dead, begin to retreat or surrender.

But it’s not over yet.

“Long live the Alpha,” Vittorio croaks, coughing violently as he picks himself up from where I’ve thrown him.

I turn toward him, but before I can take another step, the unmistakable click of a gun echoes through the room. Vittorio has a pistol aimed directly at my chest.

“Not another move, Bane,” he growls. “I don’t care how strong you are. A silver bullet to the heart will finish you.”

I freeze. My men, bloodied but alert, stiffen at the sight. Rook growls low, his fingers twitching toward his weapon.

“Stand down, Rook,” I say quietly, not taking my eyes off Vittorio.

Rook hesitates but obeys.

Vittorio’s lip curls into a mockery of a smile. “Smart choice, Alpha. Maybe you’re finally learning.”

I exhale sharply, letting the rage simmer just beneath the surface. “Vittorio, enough of this. You’ve lost. Your men are finished, Nathaniel is dead, and you have nothing left. Let them go—Aria and Elias.”

He barks a laugh. “You don’t deserve my daughter. And you certainly don’t deserve to live.”

I take a step forward, his finger twitching on the trigger. “I love her, Vittorio,” I say firmly, my voice steady.

The room seems to still at those words. Even Vittorio blinks in surprise, the gun wavering slightly.

“You?” he says, incredulous. “Love? You expect me to believe that after all this bloodshed? After the way you barged in here like a brute?”

“Yes,” I say, taking another step. “I love her. And I will protect her and Elias with everything I have.”

For the first time, Vittorio hesitates, his eyes narrowing as he studies me.

“I don’t care what you believe,” I continue, my voice raw. “But look at her, Vittorio. Look at your daughter.”

His gaze flicks to Aria, who stands in the corner, trembling as her fiancé’s grip on her tightens. She isn’t crying anymore.

“She doesn’t look happy,” I say quietly. “She hasn’t been happy since you took her and her son away. And if you ever cared about her, even for a moment, you’ll let her go.”

Before he can respond further, her fiancé erupts, his voice shrill and hysterical. “No! She’s mine! You have no right to her, you filthy mutt!”

Rook and I exchange a glance, a shared smirk that promises nothing good for him.

“I’ve had enough of him,” Rook mutters.

“Rook, wait—” I begin, but he’s already moving.

Rook’s pistol is out and fired before the fool even realizes what’s happening. The fiancé screams, dropping Aria as two precise bullets tear through his hands.

Rook’s expression is unhinged as he walks toward the man, his weapon still raised. “You dare to lay your filthy hands on the Alpha’s mate? You dare?”

The man scrambles backward, clutching his mangled hands, his screams turning to whimpers. “Please! I didn’t mean—”

“Rook,” I bark, pulling him back. “That’s enough.”

Rook steps back reluctantly, still glaring at the groveling man. “Pathetic,” he mutters.

The moment Aria is free, she runs to me as well as Elias. I crouch, pulling them close, my arms wrapping around them protectively.

“It’s over,” I whisper into her hair.

Elias’s small voice trembles as he pulls away just enough to look up at me. “You found us, Dad,” he whispers, looking scared.

I nod, my throat tight. “I promised I would.”

Aria presses her forehead against my chest, her hands clutching the front of my shirt. “I’m so sorry, Bane. I—”

“Don’t apologize,” I cut her off gently, my hand cupping her face. “You’re safe. That’s all that matters.”

Elias wraps his arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. “I was so scared.” he admits, his voice small.

I squeeze him. "I know, little one. I know.”