Chapter 115
**CASSIUS**
It had been three days since Caedmon's casual mention of his supposed conversation with Lord Ambrose—a dead man. And still, no one in the community seemed to suspect a thing. That suited us just fine.
I stood on the balcony outside the council room, arms folded, watching the low morning sun bathe the fields in honeyed light. From this vantage point, I could see the outer perimeter teams doing their rotations, our youngest trainees sparring, and in the distance, the glimmer of Rosalie's barrier spells guarding the northern ridge.
It all looked so normal. Peaceful. But beneath the surface, we were sharpening our knives.
Inside, Adam and Austin were finishing a quiet conversation with Alex. Fares leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, while Sasha drummed his fingers on the map table. None of us trusted Caedmon. And after Rosalie's dream—which she still hadn’t told Aria about in full—our suspicions had only deepened.
"We go with the decoy," Adam said, turning to us all. "The hunters' intel Caedmon intercepted is false, and now he thinks we've exposed a weakness in our eastern shield. If we let him believe it, he might act."
"Unless he smells the bait," Austin muttered.
"He won’t," I said. "He thinks we're too distracted with Aria's recovery and the council restructuring. He thinks we're just a pack of sentimental fools."
"And he’s not entirely wrong," Sasha added, earning him a sharp look from Fares.
We dispersed from the meeting one by one, careful to exit at staggered intervals. Adam went to check on Aria. Austin lingered by the training ground. I, however, headed for the library—where Caedmon would be.
The bastard liked his books. Liked to pretend he was one of us.
I found him seated in the alcove near the window, a leather-bound tome open in front of him. He glanced up, the picture of pleasant surprise.
"Cassius," he said. "I was just thinking of you."
"Let’s hope it was kind," I said, keeping my voice neutral.
He chuckled. "Always. I’ve been reading about interspecies hybridization. Fascinating stuff. You would know more than most, of course."
I pulled out a chair, pretending to scan the titles stacked around him. "Something on your mind?"
He paused, then closed the book slowly. "Actually, yes. I heard from one of our mutual friends across the border. There’s chatter of a new alliance forming.
Between smaller werewolf factions and some disillusioned vampires."
I arched an eyebrow. "Sounds like a headache."
"Potentially. But I thought you'd appreciate the information."
"I do," I said, standing. "Always good to know who’s whispering in the dark."
He gave me a long look, but said nothing. As I left the library, I pulled my phone from my jacket and sent a single word to our inner circle:
*Bait taken.*
*****
That evening, back in the council chamber, the energy was tight and focused. Alex had already confirmed that Caedmon had sent a coded message to Elias via the mirror shortly after our conversation. It included a warning about our eastern flank and an implication that something big was coming.
"He thinks we’re about to move something through that corridor," Austin said, tapping the map.
"So we give him a reason to believe it," Adam replied. "Sasha, how quickly can we build a caravan that looks official enough to pass as high-level transport?"
"Twelve hours. Less if I can steal some supplies from the medics."
"Do it," I said. "And load it with nothing but sand."
Austin smiled. "Let’s see how long Caedmon can fake loyalty when the noose starts to tighten."
***
The next morning, Caedmon came to breakfast. He was all charm and wit, making small talk with Aria and even offering Rosalie a book he'd "found in the archives." His timing was too perfect. Too polished.
Aria, to her credit, played her part. She looked calm and radiant, a soft smile gracing her lips. You’d never guess she could tear a man apart with her bare hands now.
"Did you sleep well?" Caedmon asked her lightly.
"Like a stone," she replied.
Adam leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple. "You looked like an angel."
I almost rolled my eyes.
"Well," Caedmon said, standing, "I have some reading to finish. Enjoy your morning."
As he walked away, I watched his body language—relaxed, but precise. Calculating.
"He knows something," I murmured.
"He thinks he knows everything," Rosalie muttered beside me. "But he hasn’t seen what’s coming."
I hoped she was right. Because one wrong step, one misplayed card, and the trap we were building might just snap back on us.
**CAEDMON**
They were finally letting their guard down. I could feel it in the way Adam nodded at me during meals, in the way Aria no longer avoided my gaze, and in how the others had stopped watching me closely. Fools. They believed me tamed, a wary guest adapting to a strange home. But their silence wasn't suspcicion - it was comfort. Trust. And that trust would be their undoing. I allowed myself a slow, satisfied smile as I crossed the courtyard, utterly convinced that every step brought me closer to my own victory.
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