Chapter 129 CHAPTER 130: The Silent Promise

Chapter 129 CHAPTER 130: The Silent Promise
REED’S POV

The noise inside the main hall of the arena was completely deafening. Reed was still celebrating the championship win with the team when he noticed something was wrong. Everyone around him was excited. Students were taking pictures, teammates were shouting, and people kept congratulating us, patting us hard on the shoulders and handing us cold drinks.

Normally, I would have enjoyed all the attention. I would have soaked up the cheers, cracked a joke, and probably found some girl to flirt with in the corner.

This time, however, I couldn't stop thinking about the warning Zane had given us earlier. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. My stomach twisted into tight knots, heavy and cold, completely ruining the victory mood. I didn't want to celebrate anymore. I didn't want the trophy or the cheering.

I eventually excused himself from the celebration and went looking for his brothers.

It didn't take long for all of them to gather in one of the empty team rooms connected to the arena. We slipped away from the flashing cameras and the crowded hallways, sliding into the quiet, dim room and locking the heavy metal door behind us.

Zane was already standing by the table, looking more serious than Reed had ever seen him before. His jaw was locked tight, and his eyes were dark with real panic.

After making sure nobody else was around, Zane explained what he had overheard.

"What the hell is this about, Zane?" Cole demanded, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "You look like you saw a ghost."

"Listen to me, and listen good," Zane said, his voice dropping low and harsh. "I didn't come to you guys to play games. Right before the game ended, I followed a guy out toward the service hallway. He wasn't watching the hockey game. He was watching Aria."

Zane looked more serious than Reed had ever seen him before. After making sure nobody else was around, Zane explained what he had overheard. He told them about the strange man watching Aria. He explained how the conversation sounded nothing like school gossip or Bianca's usual obsession.

"What did he say?" Kai asked, stepping closer, his alpha presence flaring up with instant aggression.

"He was talking into an encrypted phone," Zane answered, shaking his head. "He called her a target. He said buyers were doubling the payout to secure her tonight before the pack elders leave. He wasn't talking about school drama. He was talking like a professional mercenary."

The man spoke as if Aria was important for some reason.

Hearing that immediately changed the mood in the room. Nobody spoke for several seconds because they all realized this situation might be much bigger than they thought. The heavy silence stretched on, broken only by the muffled sounds of cheering students celebrating through the distant walls.

"A mercenary?" Jasper scoffed, though his voice lacked its usual teasing edge. "Are you out of your mind? You think someone hired a hitman over high school drama?"

"Not high school drama, Jasper," Zane snapped back. "They are going to pay millions. That is what I heard him say into the phone. Millions for her."

Reed became frustrated because nothing about it made sense.

"Millions?" I repeated, rubbing my face with my hands, my temper flaring hot. "For what? Aria was supposed to be an omega with no wolf. Why would dangerous people suddenly become interested in her?"

The more questions he asked, the fewer answers they seemed to have.

"Think about it," Cole said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, dark register.

Cole brought up the information he had discovered during his investigation, including the fact that people had apparently been asking questions about Aria long before the kidnapping happened.

"Before Bianca even hired Jax," Cole reminded us, pacing across the room. "These professionals were already in town. They were tracking her route to school, showing her picture to locals, and digging into her daily life weeks ago."

That information only made Reed more uncomfortable.

My heart hammered against my ribs. It made zero sense. If she was just a regular, wolfless omega from a tiny apartment, why was anyone spending thousands of dollars to track her before she even set foot in our house?

For the first time, he started wondering if there were things about Aria's past that even she didn't know herself.

"Do you think her mother is hiding something?" Kai asked, staring at Cole.

"I don't know," Cole muttered. "But whoever is pulling the strings has resources we can't even imagine. We need to get her out of here. Now."

Reed eventually left the meeting and went searching for Aria.

I pushed past my brothers, not waiting for them to argue, and bolted out of the room. My boots hit the concrete floor hard as I hurried back toward the main arena. The victory celebration was still going strong, but all I cared about was finding her face in the crowd.

He found her outside the arena with Maya, watching students celebrate the championship victory.

She was smiling while talking to Maya, looking more relaxed than she had during the past few weeks. The arena lights caught the soft waves of her hair, and she laughed at something Maya said, her dark eyes shining with pure happiness.

Seeing her smile should have made him relax, but instead it made him worry even more.

Looking at her standing there, Reed doubted she understood how serious things were becoming. She had no idea that professional men were walking around outside the building right now, discussing how much money they would make by stealing her away from us.

When she noticed him staring, she asked what was wrong.

Aria nudged Maya, whispering something, and then walked over to me, a bright, happy smile still lingering on her lips.

"Hey, champion," she teased lightly, her voice sweet and warm. She reached out, lightly touching the sleeve of my jacket. "You guys were amazing out there. Everyone is still talking about that final goal. What is wrong with you? You look like you just saw a ghost instead of winning the whole championship."

Reed forced himself to smile and told her everything was fine.

"I am just tired, princess," I said, keeping my voice steady, though every muscle in my body was tense as a wire. I forced the corners of my mouth up into a convincing grin. "It was a brutal game. Everything is fine. You looked great up in the stands tonight."

She smiled wider, completely buying the lie. "Thanks. Maya and I were screaming our lungs out."

He couldn't bring himself to ruin her happiness yet.

How could I tell her? How could I look into those bright eyes and tell her that dangerous men were hunting her? She had suffered enough with Bianca and the kidnapping attempt. I wanted to keep her safe in this bubble of happiness for just a little longer.

As he stood beside her, watching the celebration continue around them, he made a silent promise to himself.

I shifted closer to her, wrapping a protective arm around her waist and pulling her slightly against my side. She leaned into my touch, fitting perfectly against me.

Whatever these people wanted from Aria, they were going to have to go through him first.