Chapter 41
Inside the Great Hall
The enormous hall loomed over Lord Filipe, Lord Urich, and Lord Bernard as they stood near the entrance, their postures rigid and expressions dark with tension. The air between them felt thick, as if anticipation and uncertainty had manifested into something tangible.
Lord Filipe, tall and broad-shouldered, folded his arms across his chest. “What do you think the issue is? Why would someone risk infiltrating the clan?” His voice held a quiet frustration.
Lord Urich, the oldest among them with a silver mane of hair, narrowed his eyes. “It could be anyone. But one thing’s certain-someone was sent here for a reason, and they’ve succeeded in remaining hidden thus far.”
Lord Bernard let out a low grunt of agreement. He was the most suspicious of the three, his sharp gaze shifting between them. “Whoever it is, they have help. No one sneaks into this place without some inside information. We need to find the leak.”
The three lords shared a brief, uneasy glance. The idea of a traitor among them wasn’t one they took lightly.
Just then, the door to the hall opened, and John strode in with purpose. His face was set in a deep frown, determination radiating from every step he took. He greeted the lords with a curt nod. “Let’s get inside. We need to start the meeting,” he said, his tone brooking no argument. “We don’t have much time to figure out who the traitor is.”
The lords followed John inside the hall. The heavy doors shut behind them, casting the room in an eerie silence before they began to take their seats.
They hadn’t even settled in when the doors opened once more, and Jake walked in with Seth at his side. The tension in the room rose even higher, every pair of eyes following Jake’s movements as he walked towards the large oak table at the center of the hall.
As Jake sat down, Lord Bernard immediately turned to John, not wasting any time. “John, let’s talk about the obvious,” he began, his voice sharp. “We have two outsiders in our midst-Stephanie and Reyna. Both of them have questionable pasts. It’s entirely possible the spy came here to see one of them.”
John’s eyes darkened. He slammed his hand on the table, shaking it. “No.” His voice was firm, a low growl escaping his throat. “Stephanie and Reyna are not the traitors, and they are not connected to whoever broke into our estate.”
Lord Bernard wasn’t convinced. He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes at John. “You’re too close to this. You’ve allowed yourself to be swayed by them-by Reyna. You can’t overlook the possibility that the spy came for one of them.”
John met Lord Bernard’s gaze with a hard glare. “You’re wrong.”
Lord Bernard turned to Jake, expecting him to speak up, to take his side. “And you, Jake? What do you think? You’ve been close to Reyna. Are you willing to bet our clan’s safety on them?”
For a moment, the room fell silent, everyone’s attention focused on Jake. His face remained unreadable, the tension in his posture speaking volumes. But when he opened his mouth to respond, no words came. He simply sat there, staring at the table, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze.
Lord Bernard’s eyes narrowed at Jake’s silence, but he said nothing. The lack of response from Jake felt like an unspoken agreement, and Lord Bernard shifted in his seat, looking smug, as if he had won a small victory.
John scowled, his hands balling into fists. He could feel the meeting slipping away from his control, and it made his wolf stir with restless anger. But before he could say anything, Seth cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence.
“We need to focus,” Seth said, his voice calm but firm. “Whether the spy came to see Stephanie or Reyna isn’t the point right now. We need to figure out how they got in and who helped them.”
Lord Filipe nodded in agreement, his serious expression showing that he was keen to move past the blame game. “The traitor could be anyone. We can’t rule anyone out.”
—
**Outside the Hall**
Stephanie crouched just outside the hall, her body tense as she strained to hear every word. Her heightened wolf senses allowed her to listen in on the entire conversation, and what she heard made her blood run cold.
John was defending her, but Lord Bernard’s accusations hit too close to home. He was right about one thing-there was someone who had come into the estate. And if they kept digging, they’d find out who.
Her heart pounded in her chest. She had to get out of here before she was seen. But just as she was about to slip away, she spun around and collided with someone.
Diane.
Diane stood there with her arms crossed, her sharp gaze cutting into Stephanie like a blade. A cruel smirk twisted her lips as she took a step forward. “What’s the matter, Steph?” she said mockingly. “Eavesdropping now, are we?”
Stephanie swallowed hard, her mind racing. “I wasn’t-” she started, but Diane cut her off, her voice cold and low.
“I’m watching you, Stephanie,” Diane hissed, stepping closer until her face was inches from Stephanie’s. “And I know you haven’t done what I told you to do.”
Stephanie stiffened. She didn’t need to ask what Diane meant-she knew exactly what she was talking about. Diane had ordered her to find a way to get rid of Reyna, and so far, she hadn’t been able to go through with it.
Diane’s eyes narrowed. “You had one job. And now look at the mess you’ve created. We have the lords talking about spies, and it won’t take them long to figure out that someone is moving against them.”
Stephanie opened her mouth, trying to find the right words. “I’m working on it,” she muttered, her voice trembling slightly.
“Working on it?” Diane snapped. “You’d better be, because if you don’t handle this, it won’t be Reyna who gets taken down-it’ll be you.”
Stephanie felt her throat tighten. Her mind was spinning, and she couldn’t see a way out of this without causing a disaster. “Sally is coming for that,” she said quickly, hoping to placate Diane. “He’s going to handle Reyna, and probably both of us too.”
Diane’s expression changed for just a moment, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. “Sally?”
Stephanie nodded. “He said he’s coming to kill both of us if we don’t get this done.”
Diane’s smirk faded, replaced by a calculating look. She stared at Stephanie for a long moment before finally stepping back. “You’d better be right, Stephanie. Because if you fail, Sally won’t be your only problem.”
Without another word, Diane turned and walked away, leaving Stephanie standing there, feeling more trapped than ever before.