Page 69 of The Alpha's Forbidden Heir

“Just saying, the man has a history. Aria’s not the first person he’s tried to manipulate into submission. And if he’s got someone here feeding him intel, it’s not just her life on the line. It’s all of ours.”

I slam my fist against the table, the wood groaning under the pressure. “We don’t have time to debate this. Aria’s life is on the line.”

Tobias narrows his eyes, his voice calmer than mine but no less firm. “And rushing in blindly won’t help her, Alpha. You need to think this through.”

“Think this through?” My voice comes out as a growl, my wolf clawing at the surface. “She’s in Vittorio’s hands. I won’t sit here while he tightens his grip.”

Tobias speaks up again. “And how do we plan to do that, Alpha? If we start accusing people without proof, we risk turning the pack against each other. It could cause more harm than good.”

“We’re not accusing anyone yet,” I reply. “But we are watching. I want every interaction, every conversation, every move scrutinized. If anyone so much as looks suspicious, I want to know about it.”

Markus frowns. “What about Nathaniel?”

The room goes silent again. The elder’s name hangs in the air like a challenge.

Rook raises an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You mean the wise and noble Nathaniel? Surely he’d never stoop to such treachery.”

“Enough,” I snap, though my own doubts about Nathaniel linger. “We don’t point fingers without evidence. Keep an eye on him, but discreetly. If he’s involved, we’ll know soon enough.”

Rook chuckles softly. “Discreet isn’t exactly your strong suit, Bane.”

I shoot him a glare, and he wisely shuts up.

Tobias clears his throat again. “Alpha, if I may… what about Luna Aria and Elias? Do we have any leads on where Vittorio might be holding them?”

I stop pacing and face the group. “No solid leads yet. But we know Vittorio’s patterns. He doesn’t stray far from his strongholds, and he’s too arrogant to think we’d dare come after him.”

Markus nods. “Then we focus on his usual haunts. Send scouts to every location we know he’s used before. If he’s hiding Luna Aria and Elias, we’ll find them.”

“And what if we don’t?” Tobias asks quietly.

I don’t answer immediately. The thought of failure, of not bringing them back, is one I can’t afford to entertain.

“We will,” I say finally, my voice hard. “Failure isn’t an option.”

Rook steps closer, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Bane, if this traitor is as close as we think, they’ll know what we’re planning. We can’t make any moves until we’re sure we’ve plugged the leak. Otherwise, we’re walking into a trap.”

I nod, hating how much sense he makes. “Then we move fast. Lock down the pack, isolate the traitor, and hit Vittorio before he sees us coming.”

Markus and Tobias exchange a look before nodding in agreement.

Rook smirks. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s just hope it doesn’t blow up in our faces.”

I glare at him, and he holds up his hands in mock surrender.

As the meeting begins to wind down, a knock at the door interrupts us. One of the junior guards steps in, his expression tense.

“Alpha,” he says, his voice shaking slightly. “There’s been a development.”

“What now?” I growl, turning toward the door. The heated discussion among my trusted men halts as the junior guard steps into the room, his face pale and his eyes darting nervously.

“Alpha,” he begins, his voice shaky. “There’s… news about Luna Aria.”

My chest tightens. “Speak,” I command, my tone sharper than intended.

He swallows hard, standing stiffly under the weight of my glare. “Vittorio has announced her engagement, more like marriage.”

For a moment, I don’t register his words. “Her what?” I hiss, my hands clenching into fists at my sides.

---