Chapter 91
**ARIA**
The library was quiet that afternoon, bathed in the soft amber light of the setting sun. Dust floated lazily in the golden rays streaming through the tall windows. It was one of my favorite places in the community—calm, timeless, and usually empty at this hour.
Which made it perfect.
And utterly unbearable.
I sat at the long reading table, an untouched book open in front of me. My fingers rested on the pages, but I hadn’t read a word. Every muscle in my body was tense, my thoughts a tangle of anger and dread. I hated this. Hated pretending. Hated playing this game. Hated being anywhere near him.
Caedmon.
He entered with his usual air of effortless confidence, his stride slow and calculated as he spotted me. Of course he did. He always did.
"Ah, Lady Aria," he said with a smile that made my skin crawl. "How fortunate. I was just thinking how dreadfully dull this place can be without conversation."
I looked up with practiced calm, though my stomach twisted. "Oh? I thought you enjoyed solitude."
"Solitude is vastly overrated when the company is interesting. May I?"
I nodded toward the chair opposite mine. "Be my guest."
He sat, folding his hands in front of him. Everything about him was carefully curated, from his posture to his tone. It was maddening.
"Still reading about old battles and ancient treaties?" he asked.
"Still trying to understand why people in power keep making the same mistakes," I said flatly.
He chuckled. "That, my dear, is the greatest mystery of all."
We talked. Or rather, he talked and I pretended to be relaxed, disarmed. I let him lead the conversation from small talk to politics to the occasional barbed flirtation. He was circling, and I hated that I had to let him.
He leaned in slightly. "I have to admit, I’m surprised you sought out time alone today. After all that tension yesterday, I thought Adam would keep you locked up somewhere for safekeeping."
"Adam doesn’t lock me up," I said, forcing a light tone. "I make my own decisions."
"Do you? Even when they put you in danger?"
"Especially then."
He watched me, eyes gleaming. "Tell me then, what have you discovered lately?"
There it was.
I took a breath, looked away, then back, letting hesitation flicker across my face.
"Do you ever wonder about the weak spots in our defenses?"
His brow rose, intrigued. "Weak spots?"
I closed the book softly, leaning in slightly. "There’s been a breach. One of the border gates in the southeast—not officially, but it happened. A patrol caught it, barely. A lone wolf, watching the perimeter. Not one of ours."
Caedmon went still, just for a heartbeat.
"And what happened to this intruder?"
"He got away," I said. "But the strange thing is, no alarms were triggered. It's like he knew where to step, what paths to avoid."
He said nothing, but I could see the spark in his eyes. The interest. The calculation.
"Why are you telling me this, Aria?" he asked softly.
I met his gaze. "Because you're smart. And maybe... maybe it's time we started sharing real threats instead of circling each other."
His smile returned, smoother than before. "A wise sentiment."
He stood, offering a slight bow. "Thank you for the conversation. As always, enlightening."
He vanished into the shelves.
I exhaled shakily, my hands trembling in my lap. I hated him. Hated that I had to sit there and offer pieces of myself to keep up the lie. Hated that he had invaded my dreams. Hated that he still smiled like he knew something I didn’t.
But the bait was set.
***
Three hours later, Rosalie pulled me into the war room, her face pale.
"We intercepted a message," she said. "Caedmon sent a runner. A physical messenger—not magical, not digital. Smart. Harder to trace."
"To who?"
She hesitated. "Not vampires. Werewolves. From the neighboring pack."
My blood turned to ice.
The pack that opposed us. The one that had always bristled at our alliance, our community, our hybrids.
Caedmon wasn’t just probing us for secrets. He was feeding them to our enemies.
I felt sick. Used.
But also furious.
Because now we knew. And now, we could act.
The game was over.
And I was done playing nice.
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