Eva paced the length of her office, her fingers clenched at her sides as she fought to keep her emotions in check. The news was still fresh, like a wound that refused to close. Her mind was racing, each thought overlapping the next. The betrayal had been so close, so personal. Someone within her pack—someone she trusted—was leaking information to the vampires. She felt the sting of it deep in her gut, and the weight of it made it hard to breathe.
Max stood by the window, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his expression hard and unreadable. Eva could sense his frustration, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. She knew what he was thinking. He was wondering how it had happened, who could have been foolish enough to betray them. But Eva had already reached a conclusion. She couldn’t explain it, not yet, but she knew that someone had turned on them.
Tiana was the first to break the silence. She entered the room, her face pale, her eyes wide with alarm. “Eva, we found something. Crescent weapons. They were in rogue hands,” she said, her voice tight with disbelief.
Eva turned to her, her heart sinking. She had hoped it was just a misunderstanding, a mistake. But the look on Tiana’s face told her everything she needed to know. “What do you mean, Crescent weapons?” Eva asked, her voice shaky.
Tiana took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “We’ve been tracking the rogues, and we found a stash. There were Crescent knives, Crescent guns… everything. They were armed with our weapons.”
Max’s jaw clenched at the mention of Crescent weapons. “How the hell did the rogues get their hands on our gear?” he demanded, his voice low but full of fury.
Eva could see the veins of anger running through him, the protectiveness that flared whenever someone threatened their pack. But the more she thought about it, the more it became clear to her. This wasn’t just an outside threat. Someone in their inner circle had to be involved. No rogue would have been able to access Crescent’s weapons without help from someone on the inside.
“You think we’d betray you?” Max’s voice was a growl now, directed not at Eva, but at Tiana. His gaze was sharp, his fury palpable. Eva could feel it, could sense the danger in the air.
Tiana’s eyes softened with the realization of what Max was suggesting. She shook her head. “Of course not. But we need to figure out how this happened. Who’s responsible.”
Eva stepped forward, her eyes never leaving Max’s face. She could see the fury in his expression, but she also saw the doubt. “Max,” she said quietly, “I think someone already has.”
The words hit him like a punch to the chest. His eyes widened, the anger twisting into confusion. “You’re saying one of us… one of our own is leaking information to the vampires?”
Eva nodded, her heart aching as she spoke. “It’s the only explanation. The rogues didn’t get those weapons on their own. Someone had to be feeding them information.”
Max’s expression darkened, and he turned to look out the window again. He didn’t want to believe it. He couldn’t. Not someone from their pack, not from their inner circle. But the pieces were starting to fall into place, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized Eva was right.
Dany entered the room then, his eyes sharp, his face set in a grim line. He could feel the tension in the air, the uncertainty that hung between them all. He crossed the room and stood by Eva, his gaze flicking between Max and Tiana. “We’ll smoke them out,” Dany said, his voice firm and steady. “Even if it’s one of ours.”
Max turned to him, his eyes flashing with fire. “You’re damn right we will,” he muttered. “Whoever’s behind this will pay. We don’t tolerate traitors in our ranks.”
120
