Chapter 124

**ARIA**

The apartment had become my sanctuary and my prison. Ever since Alaric's voice had slithered into my ear like a viper coiled with poison, I hadn’t been able to shake the weight of his words. They lived in my chest like stones, dragging down every breath, every heartbeat. I tried to appear composed for Adam and Austin, who were already strained from their relentless patrols and mounting concern. But inside, I was fraying.

They didn’t say it out loud, but I knew they were just as shaken as I was. Adam's calm had been replaced with a brittle edge, and Austin hadn’t stopped moving since that night. Cassius, always level-headed, now snapped at shadows. Rosalie, bless her, was doing everything she could with the witches—reaching out to covens she once avoided, trying to gather allies. Fares and Alex had become shadows themselves, slipping from hallway to hallway, constructing new barriers and monitoring the perimeter like hawks.

And I? I was hiding.

I hated that I had let fear nest inside me. I hated even more that I was afraid for something so precious. My babies. Every time I placed a hand on my belly, I didn’t just feel love. I felt dread. Because Alaric had made it clear—he would destroy anything unnatural. And in his eyes, that included my children.

But I couldn’t stay here, wrapped in layers of silence and hesitation.

So I got dressed, layered a thick wool coat over my sweater, and forced myself out the door. My steps felt heavier than they should have. The cold bit at my cheeks and the soft snow crunched beneath my boots as I made my way across the compound to Alex’s office.

He looked surprised when I knocked and poked my head in. “Aria,” he said, standing quickly. “Is everything all right?”

I nodded. “I need to talk.”

He gestured to the chair across from him. “Of course. Come in. Sit.”

I sank into the seat and let out a slow breath. The silence stretched for a few beats, and then I broke it. “I’m scared, Alex. I haven’t said it out loud. Not to
Adam. Not to Austin. But I am. Alaric knows too much. He got close enough to whisper in my ear. And I don’t know how to protect them.” I rested a hand against my stomach.

Alex’s expression softened. “You shouldn’t have to. That’s our job. Mine. Adam’s. All of ours.”

“But I’m a part of this too. I can’t keep hiding in that apartment. It’s not who I am.”

He nodded slowly. “Good. Because I have a plan—but it needs everyone on board.”

He turned the screen on his desk toward me. Dots and blinking lights. Camera feeds. Surveillance maps. It was like watching a chessboard, pieces in constant motion.

“We’ve upgraded our perimeter. Multiple failsafes, new tripwires and detection zones. We’re tracing every movement in and out. What I need now is a way to lure Alaric into making a mistake.”

I leaned forward. “How?”

“We leak false information through Elias. Something he can’t resist sharing. Something that forces Alaric to act.”

I frowned. “Won’t that put Elias on alert?”

“Not if we do it gradually. Let him think he’s uncovering something on his own. He’s careful, but not immune to temptation.”

I thought about it. About the lies we’d have to weave, the traps we’d have to lay. And I nodded. “Tell me what you need from me.”

Alex gave a small, relieved smile. “I’ll draft the first false report tonight. If you can convince Adam and Austin, we can move forward within days.”

“I’ll talk to them. They’ll listen.”

We didn’t speak for a while. I leaned back and watched the camera feeds. Wolves training in the snow. A few witches in long coats walking the outer line. Children throwing snowballs near the greenhouse. For a moment, it felt normal.

Alex pushed a small bowl of snacks toward me. “You look like you haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

I laughed and grabbed a handful. “You always keep snacks in your desk?”

“Only the good ones,” he said with a wink.

We sat there, two sentinels at the edge of something far larger than either of us could yet define. But for the first time in days, I didn’t feel helpless. I felt ready.

**AUSTIN**

No way.

The words flew out of my mouth before Alex could even finish outlining the plan. I looked over at Adam, expecting his calm diplomacy to kick in, but his expression mirrored mine—tight jaw, narrowed eyes, shoulders tense.

“If you think I’m letting her be part of this, you’ve lost it,” I said, pacing across the room.

Alex stayed seated behind his desk, hands folded, calm as ever. “She came to me, Austin. She wants to help. And frankly, she’s right. Alaric is watching us from the shadows. If we don’t bait him, we won’t flush him out.”

Adam crossed his arms. “She’s pregnant. With twins. And just became a hybrid. You want us to use her as bait?”

“I want us to use her strength,” Alex replied. “She’s not weak. She’s a fighter. And whether you like it or not, Alaric already sees her as the center of all this.”

“She should be protected, not dangled in front of monsters.”

Alex exhaled slowly. “I agree. That’s why I’m telling you both now—if we do this, it’s under our control. She won’t be alone. The entire perimeter will be secured. Fares and I will monitor every second. And if anything goes sideways, we pull her out.”

I glanced at Adam again. We didn’t need words. I could feel his tension as clearly as my own. Everything in us screamed to say no—but we were warriors, not fools. This might be our only shot.

Adam finally spoke. “She doesn’t go in unless we write the parameters. We choose the time, the place, the guards, the signal. And one of us is by her side the whole time.”

I nodded slowly. “And if anything happens, anything at all—we end it.”

Alex gave a tight nod. “Deal.”

God help us, I thought. We were actually going to do this.

And I hated every second of it.