I shook my head. “No. I refuse to believe that. We’ve been so careful, and I trust my people. There must be another explanation.”
“Like what, though?” she pressed, her brow furrowing in frustration. “There’s no way it’s a coincidence he has all that knowledge.”
“Maybe he’s been spying on us himself.” I tried to come up with a plausible scenario. “Or maybe he has some sort of magical means of gathering information. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve encountered something like that in our world.”
“Magical or not, it’s dangerous,” Liza said, her grip on my hand tightening. “We need to find out how he’s doing it before he causes any more damage.”
I stared at the crackling fire, with its warmth licking at my face. Where did Castro get his information? It was a problem we couldn’t ignore any longer, and I felt a chill down to the bone despite the heat from the flames.
I sighed, rubbing my temples as I considered the idea that there might be another mole in our midst. My pack had already been betrayed once, and that wound was still raw. The thought of another traitor among us made my stomach churn with anger and disappointment.
“I shouldn’t dismiss that we might have another mole in our ranks so quickly. Anything’s possible.” I gritted my teeth. “But I’m praying it’s not true. One mole in our ranks was bad enough. Believing someone else has betrayed us would be… unbearable.”
Liza leaned against me, seeking comfort in my presence. I wrapped my arm around her, drawing strength from her body pressed against mine, and we faced the flickering flames, searching for answers in them.
“Maybe we should investigate your staff more thoroughly,” she said hesitantly. “I mean, I don’t want to cast suspicion on anyone, but we have to be sure.”
I nodded, responsibility settling heavily over me. “You’re right. We need to be certain no one else is working against us.”
“Ty, are you okay?” Liza asked softly,
“Of course.” I forced a smile, even though I was anything but. The possibility of another betrayal ate at me, threatening to consume me like the fire before us. I needed to protect my pack and Liza from harm, and that meant rooting out any treachery, no matter how painful it might be.
“Let’s make a list of everyone who could have access to sensitive information,” I said, determined to take action. “We’ll look into their backgrounds, their connections—anything that might give us a clue as to their loyalty.”
I checkedover the list of names we’d compiled, each one a potential mole and potential knife in our backs. The thought sent an icy finger down my spine, but I tried to shake it off.Focus, Ty. We needed answers, not baseless suspicions. Yet, as much as I wanted to trust those around me, the doubt lingered like a dark cloud.
“Ty,” Liza said gently, laying a hand on my arm. Her touch was warm, grounding, but I felt her concern through our bond. “You’re overthinking this.”
“Maybe.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “But I can’t help it. It’s just… no one should be aware of the existence of a trigger word for you. Liam would never put you in that position. But if Castro was as astute as I give him credit for, would he care who had the word?”
“True,” she said, her brow furrowed. “Liam is fiercely protective of me. He wouldn’t risk my safety, even if he disliked your pack. I don’t think Castro would want to share. He would want the trigger word and the power over me all to himself.”
“Right.” I couldn’t shake the nagging thought that Liam had been planning to take us out at one point. Could he be conspiring against us? No, I couldn’t allow myself to think like that. Not when we still had so many unanswered questions.
“Let’s keep digging.” I tried to push my doubts aside. “There has to be something we’re missing. A connection, a clue—anything.”
Liza nodded. “We’ll find it, Ty. We’ll get to the truth and protect our pack.”
While we continued to search for any shred of evidence, my unease only increased. The shadows in the room appeared larger, and my instincts screamed that something was amiss. But what? My thoughts raced, struggling to piece the puzzle before us.
“Ty, what if it’s not someone on this list? What if we’re missing something important?”
“It’s possible,” I said. “But we have to start somewhere. If there is another mole, they’re likely hiding in plain sight.”
“Then, we’ll keep looking,” she said firmly. “We won’t give up until we’ve found the truth and ensured the safety of our pack.”
Eventually, sleep chased us to bed. Liza had been trying to hide her yawns, but she lost the battle. Between training with Liam and Castro’sgift, she was exhausted. The minute she was nestled under the covers in our bed, she was asleep.
I lay back and watched the clock. “Damn it,” I muttered to myself. I needed to talk to Liam face to face and hash this out once and for all. No more bad blood between us, especially when it came to our mutual love for Liza.
The moon hung low in the night sky, casting its eerie glow over the world below. I couldn’t sleep. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts about Liam and his possible betrayal. I needed answers, and I needed them now. Clad in my favorite leather jacket, I slipped out of the house, careful not to wake Liza.
The engine of my car roared to life, echoing through the quiet streets as I drove into town. My knuckles turned white on the steering wheel, my tension coiling. What if Liam was the one conspiring against us? Would he betray Liza like that?
I pulled up to the hotel. Its neon sign flickered in the darkness, casting an ominous glow over the entrance. After taking a moment to compose myself, I stepped out of the car and walked toward the building, steeling myself for the impending confrontation.
As I approached, Liam emerged from the shadows, his expression guarded. “Ty,” he questioned me coldly “What the fuck do you want?”
