ROWAN
“What do you think he is planning?” Lisa asks, her voice breaking through the silence, her question hanging in the air like thick with tension and worry.
I glance over at her, sitting across the desk with her arms crossed, her brows drawn tight together. Rina is perched beside her, a look of equal concern etched across her face.
They are both watching me closely, waiting for answers I clearly don’t have.
Leaning back in my chair, I heave out sigh, running a hand over my face.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “None of this is making sense anymore.”
Rina shifts in her seat, leaning forward. “But you talked to Kaylee, didn’t you? Are you sure she is giving you the right information? You know how she can be biased. She sees everything Dominic does though dark tinted lenses. Maybe-”
“She wouldn’t lie,” I cut her off, shaking my head. “Or make mistakes about this. Kaylee is not the type to mess around with something like this. And she has been good with her information so far.”
Lisa purses her lips, tapping her fingers against the armrest of the chair.
“So what exactly did Kaylee say? What exactly has he been doing?”
I exhale, glancing at both of them.
“She said Dominic has been acting… strange. More paranoid and excited than usual. Even her spy isn’t sure what is going on anymore. The information is scarce.”
Lisa raises an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“No, it doesn’t,” I agree. “But there is more. Kaylee’s spy manged to find out that Dominic has been refurbishing a room in his mansion. From what they told her, It is almost complete, but no one seems to know who or what it’s for. Only a select few are allowed anywhere near it. The builders.”
Rina snorts, disbelief written across her face.
“Refurbishing a room? That doesn’t sound like Dominic at all. Why would he be doing that? What does he need a new room for?”
“That is what we’re trying to figure out,” I say, frustration creeping into my voice. “It doesn’t make sense. No one has any idea what he is planning.”
Lisa exchanges a glance with Rina before focusing back on me.
“Could it be… for you?” she asks cautiously. “I mean he has been trying to get you back to his pack. Maybe the room is sort of a pace offering… it is not out of the question, right? Maybe he is preparing something for you.”
I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head.
“For me? No way. Dominic hates me with a passion. If he is preparing anything for me, it is probably a cold, dark dungeon, not some fancy refurbished room.”
“But what if it is not about hatred?” Lisa presses. “What if he is doing this because he wants something from you? What if it is more strategic than emotional?”
I pause, considering her words for a moment, but the thought makes my skin crawl.
“I doubt it. Dominic’s never needed to play games with me. If he wanted something, he would just take it. There is no need for elaborate preparation.”
Rina leans back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. “So if it is not for you, then who is it for? What could he possibly need a secret room for? This is Dominic we are talking about- he doesn’t do anything without a purpose.”
“That is the problem,” I say, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten. “We don’t know. And if even Kaylee’s spy is out of the loop, then something big is happening. Something none of us are prepared for.”
The room falls into a heavy silence as we all sit with the weight of the unknown. Lisa and Rina, despite their tough exteriors, look just as uneasy as I feel.
Rina’s voice is softer when she speaks again. “You know we have got your back, right? Whatever this is, we will figure it out. Together.”
I manage a small smile, grateful for their presence, even if I can’t shake the dread gnawing at my insides.
“I know,” I say quietly. “I just wish I knew what we were up against.”
Lisa reaches out, placing a hand on mine. “We will find out. We always do. Eventually.”
Before I can respond, my phone rngs loudly on the desk, cutting through the tension like a knife. I glance down at the screen and see Viktor’s name flashing.
A fresh wave of anxiety rolls over me as I grab the phone and step away from the desk.
“Vickor,” I answer, my voice tinged with a mix of relief and worry.
“Rowan.” His voice is tight, strained. There is tension in it that instantly puts me on edge. Even worse than I was before. “We need to talk. It is urgent.”
I pace toward the window, staring out at the darkening sky.
“What is going on?” I ask, already bracing for bad news.
“I met with Calvin again,” Viktor begins, and I can hear the weight of something heavy in his tone. “He is unraveling. He says Dominic knows about his betrayal- or at least suspects it.”
My heart skips a beat.
“Suspects? So Dominic hasn’t done anything yet?”
“Not yet. But according to Calvin, Dominic’s different- more agitated, more… excited.” he pauses, and I can hear him hesitating before he continues. “Calvin thinks he. is planning something big. Something dangerous.”
I frown, my mind racing. “That is…. Kaylee told me something similar just now- said Dominic. has been acting suspicious, on edge, but no one knows why. Even her spy can’t figure it out. He is been refurbishing a room in his mansion, but no one knows who or what it is for.”
He is quiet for a beat before he continues.
“Calvin mentioned something else. He said Dominic’s been sneaking around and came back from somewhere recently. Said it was right before this… shift in his behavior.”
I stop pacing, my heart pounding in my chest. “Where did he come from?”
There is a pause on the other end of the line. “The settlement.”
I blink, my mind stuttering to a halt. “The settlement?” My voice is sharp, filled with disbelief. “Our settlement? There is only one settlement, Viktor. Are you sure?”
“I am sure,” Victor says, his tone grave. “Calvin was clear. Dominic came back from the settlement, and ever since then, he has been… different.”
My mind spins with confusion and dread.
Why would Dominic have come to the settlement?
When did he do that?
Why would that have triggered this sudden change in him? I clutch the phone tighter, my pulse racing.
“I need to know when, Viktor” I say, my voice tense. “I have to find out which patrol team was on duty that day. I need to interrogate them. I need the day, Viktor!”
Victor’s voice softens with concern.
“You think they saw something?”
“I don’t know!” I admit, the dread gnawing at my insides. “But I have to find out. If Dominic was in the settlement and came back… excited… something is wrong. Something is very wrong. There
… There might be a traitor here.”
The line falls quiet for a moment before Viktor speaks again. “I will get the information, Rowan. But be careful.”
“I will,” I say, though the words feel hollow.
That uneasy feeling in my gut is only growing stronger, spreading like a dark shadow I can’t shake.
Something is coming.
Something far worse than I ever anticipated.
And I am not sure we are ready for it.