Chapter 100 The Enemy Inside
The lobby of Kane’s building went still when the doors opened.
Wolves lined the perimeter, silent and watchful. The scent of tension clung to the air.
Elder Morgana stood near the center of the marble floor, regal and composed. Silver hair braided neatly over one shoulder. Beside her stood Maya, her eyes already searching for the twins.
Aria stepped forward first.
“We’re back,” she said softly.
Maya’s breath caught. “We missed you.”
Elder Morgana approached without haste. Her sharp gaze moved over Leo and Lily carefully, assessing their strength, their scent, their energy.
“You have much explaining to do,” Elder Morgana said.
Aria laughed and nodded. “We do. And we will.”
Maya reached for Lily first. Aria passed her over gently. Kane transferred Leo into Elder Morgana’s arms. The older wolf’s expression shifted subtly as she felt his pulse.
“You should rest,” Maya murmured to the twins. “You are safe now.”
Aria pressed a kiss to Leo’s forehead and brushed Lily’s hair back from her face.
“We have a lot to talk about,” she told Elder Morgana.
“We will be here, waiting.” Elder Morgana replied.
Kane gestured toward the elevator. Devon and Marcus joined them immediately.
The doors slid shut.
Marcus broke the silence first. “So, you take a small trip and return with armed witches and poisoned children. I am beginning to question our vacation planning.”
Aria smiled with tired eyes.
“Looks like they need a vacation from the vacation.” Devon said as he looked at Aria.
“Agreed.” Kane responded as he pulled Aria closer to him.
The elevator opened to the penthouse.
The lights in the room were already on. Kane moved to the head of the table. Aria remained standing near him. Marcus leaned against the wall. Devon took a seat, arms resting on his knees.
Silence stretched for a moment.
Kane spoke first.
“I do not trust them.”
Devon nodded slightly. “No one does.”
Marcus looked between them. “Start from the beginning. Who exactly are we dealing with?”
Aria inhaled slowly.
“Amanda appeared out of nowhere,” she said. “Cornered me at a restaurant. She knew my name. Knew things about my father. She claimed she is my half sister.”
Marcus’s brows lifted.
“She approached you alone?” he asked.
“Yes,” Aria paused. “Not exactly. She was with her husband, Jacob who mysteriously recognized Kane and approached him.”
“She told me our father had another family,” Aria continued. “That she has been searching for me for years.”
Devon straightened slightly at that.
“Searching?” he repeated.
Aria nodded. “She said she wanted to help. That she knew about Alexander and Victoria. And that the witch’s knew about the twins and were targeting them.”
Devon’s jaw tightened.
“She positioned herself as an ally,” he added. “Information. Protection. In exchange for access.”
“Access to what?” Marcus asked.
Aria hesitated only briefly. “My power.”
Silence settled.
“She wants a portion of it,” Aria finished.
Marcus leaned back slowly. “And you believed her?”
“I believed she knew too much to be random,” Aria answered. “She knew about the twins before anyone outside this territory should have.”
Devon’s expression hardened.
Marcus exhaled slowly. “So we have a woman who claims to be your half sister, appears without warning, demands magical power, and poisons your child.”
“She denies poisoning him directly,” Aria said. “She says the cure required leverage.”
Kane’s voice went cold. “Which means she was willing to let him suffer.”
Marcus’s jaw tightened.
“And we are considering cooperation?” he asked carefully.
Devon stepped away from the wall. “Because this war is expanding. Reports from outside territories confirm movement. Rogue witches aligning. Smaller packs are destabilizing. This does not end in Seattle.”
Marcus looked at Kane. “And what do you think?”
Kane did not hesitate.
“I think she is dangerous. I think she is manipulative. And I think she walked onto my land far too confidently.”
Devon nodded once. “They were not afraid.”
“Exactly,” Kane said. “People do not walk into an Alpha’s territory with a weapon unless they believe they are protected.”
Marcus’s eyes sharpened. “Protected by who?”
“That is what we are going to find out,” Kane replied.
He turned fully toward Marcus.
“Run a full background check on Amanda and Jacob. Birth records. Coven affiliations. Travel history. Financial trails. I want to know if she is truly who she claims to be.”
Marcus stood immediately. “On it.”
“And dig deep,” Kane added. “If she appeared out of nowhere, I want to know where she was before nowhere.”
Marcus gave a short nod. “I will have preliminary findings within hours.”
He moved toward the door, already pulling out his phone.
Devon watched him leave before turning back to Kane and Aria.
“If she is telling the truth about being your half sister,” Devon said carefully, “that changes certain things.”
“It complicates them, but it changes nothing. Not after what she did.” Kane corrected.
Aria crossed her arms lightly. “I do not know if I believe her. But she knew details about my father that were never public.”
Devon’s gaze flicked to Kane. “And if she is blood?”
Kane’s expression did not soften. “Blood does not excuse strategy.”
Aria studied him for a moment.
“She also said something else,” Aria added quietly.
Both men looked at her.
“She said we are looking outward for danger when the threat might be closer.”
Devon’s expression shifted slightly.
“You think she meant internal betrayal?” he asked.
“I think she wanted us to question everything,” Aria replied.
Kane began pacing slowly.
“We assume nothing,” he said. “Not yet. We verify her identity first. Then we decide whether she is a liability or a resource.”
Devon folded his arms. “And if she is both?”
“Then we control the terms,” Kane said.
Aria moved toward the window, moonlight spilling across her face.
Devon’s gaze moved toward the skyline. “If this war affects all wolves and witches, the twins may be central to it.”
Silence fell again.
Kane looked from Aria to Devon.
“We do not make any deals yet,” he said firmly. “Not until we know exactly who Amanda and Jacob are. Not until we understand what they are really after.”
Devon inclined his head.
“And if she truly is your sister?” he asked Aria.
Aria’s eyes remained on the moon.
“Then she should have approached me with truth,” she said quietly. “Not poison.”
The door opened softly as Marcus stepped back in.
“I have already started pulling records,” he said. “If she exists in the system, we will find her.”
Kane nodded once.
“Good.”
Outside, the wind shifted over the city.
Inside the penthouse, strategy began to replace shock.
War was coming.
The only question now was whether Amanda was part of the solution.
Or the spark that would set everything on fire.