56

POV – Stuart
“So, we need to address the traitor—or traitors—within the pack. At least two of them are close to us,” I began, feeling the weight of the topic settle in the pit of my stomach like a stone. The air in the room felt heavy, charged with tension as the reality of our situation loomed over us. I could sense Kai-Lea's worry, and the shadows in Kallen's eyes told me he was thinking the same thing.
Kai-Lea nodded, her eyes sharp with focus, glinting like blades under the dim light of our bedroom. “I’ve been thinking about that. I know you’ve known Kaitlyn longer than I have, but my wolf and Lycan can’t stand her. It’s not enough to accuse her of anything, I know, but it’s more than just dislike. It’s the way she acts... there are times I feel like she’s watching us, especially you two.” Her voice held a mix of frustration and urgency, as if she was desperate for us to see what she saw.
Kallen raised a brow, skepticism etched on his features. “You think she’s watching us?” His tone was even, but I could sense the underlying concern.
“Yeah, I do,” she replied, leaning in as though the mere act of drawing closer could emphasize the gravity of her words. “It’s like she’s waiting for something to happen, waiting for a moment to pounce.”
Kallen’s expression shifted slightly, and I caught a glimpse of the tension simmering beneath the surface of his calm demeanor. “I don’t know, Kai. She’s always been... well, off, but to think she’s actually plotting something against us?”
Kai-Lea sighed; a sound laced with resignation. “I know it sounds like jealousy because you two are my mates, but it’s not that. My gut tells me there’s more going on.” Her golden-green eyes darted away momentarily, as if she feared we might dismiss her instincts.
“Instincts are everything in our world,” I reminded her gently. “If you feel it in your bones, there’s likely something to it.”
Kallen crossed his arms, leaning against the table, his posture casual but his gaze intense. “You’re not the only one. Tobias has been following Kaitlyn for a while. He caught her having secret conversations with Amber-rose—Milton’s cousin—more than once. Gussie heard from others that Kaitlyn and Amber-rose were behind leaking the information about you being bought by Dad... and for how much.” The implication hung in the air, thick and suffocating, and I could see Kai-Lea’s reaction—the way her shoulders stiffened, the way her jaw clenched.
Kai-Lea stayed silent, the tension in her body coiling tightly. I knew she hated talking about that. Being bought was a necessary evil, a brutal truth, but it left an unsettling residue that made others weary of her being our truly fated mate. The whispers, the glances—every piece of judgment felt like a weight she carried alone.
“And,” I continued, my voice steady but urgent, “it looks like Kaitlyn might’ve been involved in Karrin’s escape a few months ago. Dad didn’t want to tell us because he’s furious that a teenage she-wolf managed to escape and evade recapture. But Tobias was forced to confess to him about Kaitlyn’s hidden dealings. By Wade, because he caught someone else doing something they shouldn’t have. Something that has Dad on edge from hell.” The weight of our father’s worry loomed large in the back of my mind, mingling with my own.
Kallen’s eyes darkened, the realization settling in. “It’s starting to make sense. Remember how odd Kaitlyn acted around Karrin and Cal back in middle school when we were—”
Kai-Lea let out a low growl, cutting him off, her instincts flaring to life.
I put a hand on her arm, my voice soothing. “We’re yours, Asena. No need to growl at me.” Her tension eased slightly, and I felt her relax against my chest, her wolf calming, humming softly at my touch. There was something grounding about holding her like this, reminding us of both that we had each other amidst the chaos.
Kallen shook his head, his expression a mix of understanding and frustration. He seemed to anticipate this reaction, especially with Karrin and Cal being brought up in conversation. “We can’t just go after her. She’s not working alone. And there’s proof that her uncle Morland is obsessed with G—Gussie and Chellea in an unnatural way.” Kallen’s admission hung between us, a thread of danger weaving into the fabric of our discussion.
“With that, I think I have a plan,” she tentatively said, “But it means that we continue to pretend we know nothing about the traitors. And it may mean letting some part of their plan happen. I know you aren’t liking the sound of that any more than Dad is going to... but we may have no other choice. How many traitors do you think we actually have? Do you think they’re all working together or simply unbeknownst to each other?” she glanced between us, gauging our reactions to what she was saying.
“Dad said basically the same thing. And you aren’t wrong; he wasn’t happy about it. But it’s true—without knowing the full extent of who all is betraying us and what their ultimate goal or goals are, we can’t just grab the ones we do know about.” I felt the weight of the truth pressing down on me, the stakes growing higher with each passing moment.
“It could cause their plan to be enacted faster than they currently intend. It also doesn’t help that there’s a killer in the pack. We don’t know if it’s a crazy serial killer or someone hired to kill people. Unfortunately, there are too many factors at play. We currently have Royal Investigators looking into that issue, but no one is holding onto hope that will be resolved before the traitor issue is. Or if the deaths have been committed to stop the traitors from being discovered. Whoever it is, their methods are all over the place from one death to the next.” Kallen’s voice grew grim, the reality of our situation settling heavily on us.
“Does Mom know about all this?” Kai-Lea’s voice was steady, but I could sense the worry beneath her calm exterior.
“She does. Why?” Kallen asked, his brow furrowing.
“Just wondering how long you two have been holding out on me. Dad practically tells Mom everything that happens in damn real time as it happens. You two have a habit of keeping me in the dark. We’ve fixed our bond; let’s not backslide. Okay? But on to my plan. For the younger portion of the traitors, I was thinking that if they are working together, then the best way to catch them in the act is by not being here at home. While we know my other sets of mates aren’t wolves, they don’t. So, we could theoretically claim to go looking for them on a road trip. One not just for finding my mates but for having fun and creating memories. It’s about doing something I never really had the chance to do at Black Moon Pack.” The excitement of the idea began to spark in me, a glimmer of hope amidst the uncertainty.
“It would give us a chance to observe them from a distance, see how they interact without our presence looming over them,” Kallen mused, his brow furrowing in thought. “But we’d need to be careful. We can’t let them know we’re onto them.”
“We’d set up all the traveling arrangements; all anyone coming with us would have to do is bring their clothes and themselves. I haven’t thought about how that would work out exactly, but I do know that we could get help planning this trip with Dad and Mom. And, of course, my parents.” I felt a surge of excitement building in my chest as I imagined the possibilities—a chance to escape the weight of our current reality, to breathe free air, if only for a moment.
Kallen nodded, his expression shifting from skepticism to cautious optimism. “We’ll need to come up with a solid cover story, something believable. It can’t be just a spontaneous trip; we need to make it look planned.”
Kai-Lea grinned, her earlier tension melting away as the prospect of adventure took root. “We could create a whole itinerary! Explore places we’ve never been, enjoy a real break from all this stress.”
“Yeah, and while we’re at it, we’ll gather intel,” I added, feeling the thrill of our plan solidifying into something tangible. “If we act like we’re just having fun, they’ll lower their guard.”
“And if we find evidence of their treachery?” Kallen asked, his gaze piercing.
“Then we’ll report it to Dad and the others,” I replied, determination threading through my voice. “We can’t act recklessly, but we can’t sit back and do nothing either. If we want to protect our pack and each other, we need to be proactive.”
Kai-Lea’s eyes glimmered with newfound resolve. “I’m in. Let’s do this, and we’ll come back stronger, ready to confront whoever else there is plotting against us.”
Kallen nodded, a smile creeping onto his face, the first glimmer of light in this dark conversation. “Alright, then. Road trip it is. We’ll make sure this is a trip to remember.”
As we stood together, plotting our next move, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. The road ahead was fraught with danger, but with Kai-Lea and Kallen by my side, I felt ready to face whatever came our way.