Chapter 128: The Devil in His Eyes

Chapter 128: The Devil in His Eyes
Knox POV

My father's words hung in the air like smoke.

"She's not fooling me," my once-father muttered, stepping closer. "I see her. I see through all of you."

"Pa," Kane replied coldly, his tone firm, a warning wrapped in ice. A warning Leigh ignored as his gaze narrowed in on my angel.

The air in the kitchen tightened, heavier than before. Leigh looked at us all—calm, collected, standing too still. It clearly threw him off. I knew that look in his eyes, the slight twitch in his brow. He expected chaos. He expected us to attack him for the stunt he pulled the night before.

"He's waiting for you to lose it," Havoc murmured low in my head. "Give me the word, and I'll tear his throat out."

A dangerous part of me wanted to let him. Let my wolf have him. Let the years of damage, of manipulation, of control... end here. Right here in this kitchen.

"No," I replied, barely keeping my teeth from grinding. "Not yet."

"Do you hear yourself, Alpha?" Lottie sighed. All of our attention snapped to her. "You're no better than a child," she added, shaking her head, little flyaway strands falling free and framing her flushed face. She looked... radiant, even furious. My chest ached at the sight.

And then panic gripped me.

"Havoc..."

"I see it. She's pushing him. Be ready," he warned. "Let him lunge at her. Let me end him. One second, that's all I need."

"Don't tempt me," I growled internally.

"Knox," Kane must've noticed the change in my posture. "Calm the fuck down; you're growling into the room," he mind-linked me sharply. "Focus on Lottie. She's safe. We've got her."

"I have always looked up to you. Always respected you. Even understood, to some degree, why you chose to make a deal with a demon for Knox. I have shown you nothing but respect, even after your sons betrayed me, humiliated me and forced me to leave THIS pack. My home! I left with no fuss, no drama, no issues—for YOU. I have never gone public with the way I was treated here."

Pride swelled in my chest. Her strength—unapologetic, unyielding—shone through every word. Kane's voice hit me through the link again.

"She's incredible," he gushed. "Do you see her? Goddess, she's fucking fearless."

"You're getting soft, brother," I smirked. 

"I'm never soft when it comes to our girl," he teased back. "Our girl."

Our girl. My smile tugged wider at those two words. Goddess, I had missed the sound of that.

"Listen, girl—" Leigh roared.

Adam and Liam moved in tandem, instinctive and protective. They stepped closer to Lottie without hesitation. I caught the silent signal between them—they were ready. Always watching her. Always waiting to shield her. That gave me a flicker of comfort in a storm of dread.

Lottie, however, rose slowly to her feet. Unbothered. Her hand gently brushed Adam's shoulder as she moved past them and stepped into Leigh's space.

Adam's expression shifted—momentarily to something younger, proud. It was like seeing a different version of him. He used to look at his little sister like this before all the blood and fire.

"NO, you listen, 'Alpha'. I've had enough. I haven't seen you in six months. I am carrying your ONLY grandbabies, and you think you can talk to me like this? No. I think not. I brought your son home after finding him passed out drunk at a bar. Beaten, drunk beyond measure and surrounded by your enemies and his."

My father opened his mouth to speak, but Lottie held her hand up, commanding the room without raising her voice. She didn't scream like Connie, didn't curse like Leigh. She spoke with grace, fire, and a force that made everyone listen.

"I promised Luna Laura I would stay the night, and I have. Not that either of you bothered to come see me, check on the twins I carry, or ask how they are doing. I am tired. My body hurts. I'm over the drama that surrounds your family. On top of that, I feel unwell, so I am going home."

My heart dropped.

"She's leaving." Havoc sighed. "Let her. It's safer." He added, knowing deep down that it was for the best.

"I know," I admitted, hating it. "It's for the best. For now."

"The fuck you are," Leigh snarled.

But I watched his face as Lottie spoke—each word landed like a punch. She'd knocked the breath out of him. She'd rattled him more than any fist ever could.

"You will show her respect," Liam snapped, his tone slicing through the heavy silence like a blade. "You may be Alpha here, but she is your next leader."

That did it.

Leigh froze, fists clenched, teeth grinding. Then he turned to me, then to Kane.

"What," he growled, "is the last thing you remember?"

"What?" The chill that ran down my spine felt like death brushing my neck.

I blinked. Leigh's eyes darted between us, manic now, unhinged.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he repeated. "After you brought Lottie here. After your brother's beating."

"He's baiting you," Havoc warned. "He wants a reaction. Don't give him what he wants."

"I—I woke up alone in bed. I could sense Lottie was here... I followed her scent and have spent the last day trying to convince her to stay so I can watch my pups grow," I admitted, cheeks heating with shame.

And then I felt it. That vulnerable, raw connection from our bond. Kane's wish had slipped out through me—through our brotherly link. I felt it land in the air. 'He just wants her to stay, too.'

And damn it, so did I. I'd give anything to have her beside me. And I would. Just not yet. First, we needed her safe. We needed this pack cleansed of the poison choking it. We needed him gone.

Leigh stepped back, his eyes scanning the room like he couldn't place where he was.

And then I saw it.

A flicker of red in his eyes.

Not fury.

Hellfire.

My blood turned to ice.

"Havoc—" I whispered.

"I see it," he replied, voice hollow. "Something's wrong. He's... not in there alone."