Chapter 115: A Future at a Crossroad
Kane POV
I moved quietly down the hallway, my breath still shallow from the events of the night before. Every step echoed in my ears as though the house itself remembered the blood spilled and the betrayals exposed. Adam and Liam were already waiting for me near the top of the stairs, neither looking particularly well-rested. Part of me wanted to reach out, to say something reassuring, but honestly, my mind was a messy whirlwind of half-thoughts and regrets.
I kept my mouth shut and followed them down the staircase. My eyes darted to Adam's tense shoulders, recalling how he'd barely said a word since we found out about my father's betrayal… and about Sebastian's twisted plans to dispatch Charlotte.
Charlotte.
I closed my eyes for a moment, forcing calm. Rolo, my wolf, stirred somewhere inside me, but I shushed him.
One crisis at a time.
"Anyone else feel like last night was a decade ago?" Liam murmured, glancing back at me.
Adam grunted, not bothering to answer. He was already lost in his head, no doubt replaying the conversation that revealed far too many ugly truths.
I inhaled deeply, steadying my heartbeat. It still pounded whenever I so much as thought about losing Charlotte.
"Let's just… talk downstairs," I managed. "Need a minute. All of us."
Adam glanced over his shoulder and gave a curt nod. Liam sighed in relief, apparently thankful I'd broken the silence at all.
We reached the bottom, turning into the expansive foyer that opened onto the kitchen. Usually, the smell of coffee or the sight of a warm breakfast would bring some normalcy to the morning, but a heavy gloom settled over everything. The memory of how close we'd come to losing her—again—wouldn't leave my mind.
Liam pushed through the kitchen door first and flicked on the light. Adam trudged in after him, dropping into the nearest chair. I followed more slowly, taking a moment to make sure no one else was within earshot. The walls had ears, especially in a house full of heightened senses.
"You two want coffee?" Liam asked, crossing to the cupboard.
Adam mumbled a quiet yes, busying himself by folding his arms on the table and dropping his head on top of them. He looked worn. If I was honest, we all did. Liam set the kettle to boil.
"Kane?" He gave me a quick once-over. "You need some, too?"
"Yeah… yeah, sure." I nodded. Then I lowered my voice, scanning the doorway.
"Before we talk, let me just…" I leaned around the threshold, peering into the connecting dining room—quiet, empty, no prying eyes or ears. "Clear," I confirmed, stepping back in. "Alright."
"Get on with it, Kane." Adam massaged the back of his neck, raising his head just enough to eye me. "I can hear your heart pounding from here."
"How's Charlotte doing?" Liam asked as he tried to keep his voice calm, but his words shook. "You two… did you talk to her at all?"
"Chase and Knox are with her, so that's something." Adam exhaled.
I let out a breath I didn't realise I was holding, though my chest still felt too tight. Closing my eyes, I reached out through our mindlink—one that I shared intimately with Knox.
"Knox? Is Charlotte alright?" I asked, hearing the weakness in my voice.
"Yeah." Knox's voice sounded instantly. "She's showering, about to head to bed. She's fine." A spark of warmth shot through me. Fine. Tired, but safe.
"You with her?" I pressed, fighting the wave of jealousy that rose in me whenever one of us had alone time with Charlotte.
"Yep… She just told me to scram while she's on the loo."
"So you're basically guard-dogging the bathroom door, huh?" I felt my lips twitch in a grin.
"Gotta do something." Knox snorted. I ended the link with a soft chuckle, but my amusement must have leaked through my scent because Adam and Liam groaned simultaneously.
"Ugh, no. Stop that, man. You smell disgusting whenever you're all… enthralled." Liam rolled his eyes.
"Not all of us want to sniff your lust, Kane." Adam grunted. I sank into the chair across from them, ignoring their discomfort.
"Trust me, one day, you'll both get it. Mates do that." Adam's brow furrowed. He looked away as though he didn't want to discuss the topic.
"I already do get it," Adam muttered finally.
"Yeah, well, it's too late for that, now." Liam tossed back.
Silence fell again while Liam handed us coffee mugs. I stared into the steaming liquid, the swirl of heat reminding me of that roiling swirl inside my head. After a moment, I leaned back, letting the wood of the chair dig into my shoulders.
"You know," I began to Rolo. "When Liam and Chase are gone, Charlotte's only going to have Adam to depend on from her side of the family." I flicked my gaze up at them both. "And I don't like it. She's used to having her brothers, all three, at her beck and call."
"he is strong; she will adjust." He uttered, but even I could sense his distress.
My jaw tightened. "I know," I said, "but—"
"Once she is your Luna here, she will feel complete." I heard Rolo chuff in the back of my mind.
"And force her to leave Adam?" I answered inwardly, shutting my eyes.
"You mean..." He whispered, clearly following my train of thought, but I wanted it to play out in my mind to see if there was a way around this mess.
"That would mean severing her from her birthright. That is something I couldn't ask of her."
"But you risk losing her altogether," Rolo pressed, his voice thick with the dread we both felt. "Why did you try so hard to save her, if you're just going to throw it all away?"
"Kane," Adam said softly, "What are you thinking right now?" My hand shook around the coffee mug. Adam and Liam both noticed, exchanging worried glances as though sensing the tumult in my head.
"Have you never wanted to be the alpha of the royals, Adam?" I swallowed around the lump in my throat, meeting his eyes.