Chapter 127: Shadowed Commands

Chapter 127: Shadowed Commands
Kane POV

The kitchen had never felt smaller. Tension bled from every surface, thickening the air, coiling like smoke. I leaned against the edge of the island, one eye on Charlotte—who sat pale but stubborn beside the stove—and the other on the ticking clock. The steady hum of the refrigerator was the only sound, but even that felt too loud.

She looked like she might snap in two. Her hands trembled slightly around the mug, and every few seconds, her eyes flicked toward the hallway. Her chest rose and fell too fast, her lips pressed into a thin line like she was trying not to cry or scream.

I hated seeing her like this. Charlotte could never handle betrayal—books, TV shows, hell, even bad jokes got under her skin if someone was lying. And now she had to sit here and live it.

"You okay?" I sent through the link, watching her face carefully. She didn't react. Too focused. Or too overwhelmed. I glanced at Adam and Liam. They weren't watching Leigh. They were watching her. Waiting. Protecting.

I looked at Knox.

"She's not faking," Knox whispered to me privately. "She's really unwell, I think."

"I know," I replied. "But we need to stick to the plan."

"She's shaking, man."

"And what happens if we pull her now? What does that look like to him?" I exhaled through the bond. Before he could reply, we heard it. Heavy boots. A breath. My father's voice curled through the silence like smoke. I closed my eyes and counted to three.

When I opened them, Charlotte was staring at me. Calm. Too calm. Like she'd already resigned herself to the storm, I didn't like it. I hated it.

Knox rolled his shoulders, then pressed the damp cloth to her neck again. His face smoothed over into a casual, unreadable mask.

"And… action," Rolo muttered.

Leigh entered with the weight of a thousand storms. His presence swallowed the room whole. Shadows seemed to bend around him, drawn to the edges of his form.

But something was different. His eyes flicked too quickly. His lips pressed too tightly. He wasn't just here to intimidate—he was trying to gauge the temperature of the room. And he didn't like what he found.

He didn't speak. He didn't need to.

"Does he seem different to you?" I asked Knox again through the mindlink.

"Yeah," he snapped, his tone sharp as he tried to control his anger.

"Like he's expecting us to pounce." I added.

"Because we should have," he growled back.

"Not yet," I warned. "Let him talk first."

"Well... this should be fun," Rolo growled sarcastically in the back of my mind, his hackles rising. I forced myself to straighten up, hiding the instinct to bow my head. I wasn't that kid anymore.

Leigh's eyes swept the room like a butcher's blade. First landing on me—disheveled, tense, still marked by the night's before drama. Then Knox, who stood to my left, arms crossed, chin tilted with a cool flannel, pressed Charlotte's skin.

And then... They landed on Adam and Liam.

I followed his gaze, noting how effortlessly the two of them played the game. Adam leaned against the counter like he'd spent the day gardening instead of scheming a way to destroy the man in front of him. Liam gave a polite nod, expression unreadable.

Leigh's face twitched. Confusion. Just for a second. He expected fire. War. But we were still. Calm.

Perfect. Just as we planned.

Leigh's nostrils flared. Something didn't sit right with him. Good.

"Ma says you mind-linked for emergency training?" I expressed, stepping forward and deliberately placing myself between him and Charlotte. 

"Apparently, we're under attack?" Leigh's eyes didn't move from Liam, but his words bit toward Laura instead.

"Did she now?" Laura paled visibly, wringing her hands before stepping toward him and placing her hand lightly on his arm. He shrugged it off with enough force that the sound of her gasp was audible.

I glanced quickly at Charlotte. She flinched. Of course, she did. He was a monster dressed as a man.

"Someone want to explain this circus to me?" he growled, stepping further into the room. The floor creaked beneath his boots, but he didn't answer.

"We thought maybe it had something to do with the Alphas from the meeting," I offered, trying to keep my tone measured. "They seemed... unimpressed that Knox skipped it. But he's got his shit together now. I promise."

It sounded weak even to my ears.

"Smooth," Rolo muttered, unimpressed. "Want me to start digging the grave now, or—?"

"Your shit together?" Leigh turned slowly to Knox, his eyes narrowing. 

"That right?" He gestured toward Knox and a rather red-faced Charlotte with a casual flick that dripped venom.

"Pa..." Knox started to say, but Leigh cut off whatever was coming next with a snigger.

"To me, it looks like you are playing house with your ex-mate and her new bodyguards." He added with a condescending scoff.

"We may have rejected her," Knox stated, his voice low but firm, "but she's still carrying our pups. Your grandbabies. She's running a fever, Pa. I know I embarrassed you, but I swear I'll do better."

"Is it the Alphas?" Laura stepped in. "Should I alert the patrols? Get warriors ready? What do you need?"

"You need to stay out of it," Leigh snapped without looking at her.

"I just want to help—"

"Then don't speak," he hissed.

Laura recoiled as if slapped. Liam stepped forward immediately, placing himself between them, one hand brushing Laura's elbow to guide her behind him. His other hand hovered near his belt, just in case.

"Don't speak to her like that again," Liam said softly, but there was steel beneath it.

Leigh blinked. Confused. Rattled. Like he didn't remember why he was angry. Or who he was. The words hung in the air like smoke.

"You think this is a joke?" My father's voice dipped low, a growl that made my spine stiffen. He stepped toward Knox, but Adam moved first.

Quick. Subtle. Dangerous.

Adam's body shifted just enough to block the path, and Liam mirrored the movement on the other side. For a second, I panicked, thinking Adam would snap. But his posture remained neutral. Hands relaxed. Eyes blank.

"We don't, actually," Adam said calmly. "But whatever shit is going on with you is not our concern, we are taking Lottie home. She's not well. We think the stress of seeing Knox and I fight the other day, being back here—near Connie, listening to THIS crap—is putting strain on the baby."

Leigh's confusion returned. His brows knit, his mouth opened slightly. He looked at Charlotte like she was a puzzle he couldn't solve. It wasn't hatred. Not fully. It was confusion. Disbelief. Something twisted that sent alarm bells shrieking down my spine.

"I think not. She has a lot to answer for. She stays."

Adam and Liam shifted again protectively. And my hand flexed at my side. We wouldn't let him near her. No matter what lies he believed.

The whole room held its breath.

And then...

He looked at me.