Chapter 236

Chapter 236
Matthew's POV

Our small convoy returning to Levenston Manor after the arrests. I stared out the window, replaying the night's events in my mind. Something had felt off about the whole operation. The smell of silver and gunpowder still clung to my clothes.

"Someone tipped them off," I muttered, more to myself than to Kieran who sat beside me.

"No shit," Kieran replied, his eyes flashing with residual adrenaline. "But who?"

I shifted, trying to work out the stiffness in my shoulders. "The Vasquez family, most likely. Atlas was conveniently absent when we arrived at his estate."

Kieran nodded slowly. "Better than having a mole in our inner circle."

It would destroy Augustin if someone close betrayed him, Zephyx commented in my mind.

My thoughts drifted to Charles Richards, Isabelle's father, handcuffed in the vehicle behind us. His face had been a mask of arrogance even as we dragged him away, demanding to see the Elder Council as if he had any power left. Little did he know, Augustin would soon have the authority to deal with prisoners directly.

"Charles is in for a rude awakening," I said, a grim smile tugging at my lips.

Kieran raised an eyebrow. "You think Augustin will execute him?"

I shrugged, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling into my bones. "Not my decision. But I trust Juno's judgment of Augustin. If she believes in him, then so do I."

The words felt strange coming from my mouth, but they were true. Juno had always been an excellent judge of character. I had been the fool who failed to see what was right in front of me.

The manor loomed ahead, lights illuminating the ancient stone structure. As we pulled up to the entrance, Kieran stretched beside me, a wolfish grin spreading across his face.

"What a fucking night," he said, voice vibrating with excitement. "I haven't had this much fun in years."

I glanced at him, feeling nothing of the exhilaration that animated his features. The cool night air hit my face as I stepped out of the car, carrying the scents of pine and distant rain. My life had become a series of complications, each more tangled than the last. And now I had Isabelle to deal with.

I should let her go regardless of what Juno says, I thought, Zephyx rumbling in agreement within me.

She lied to us from the beginning, my wolf growled. She can't be trusted.

If the child she carried was mine, I would find a way to be part of their life. But Isabelle and I were finished. The mere thought of her made my chest ache.

What broke me most was that I couldn't connect her to all this, the conspiracy, the plots, the danger to people I cared about. The prisoners' testimonies made her seem almost innocent, a pawn in her father's schemes. Yet something still felt wrong about her.

I didn't want her. Not as my Luna, not as my mate, not in my life. Her pregnancy complicated things, but I wouldn't force myself to stay with someone who had lied to me so thoroughly from the beginning.

Back at the manor, exhaustion claimed us all. The night's work had drained everyone, and we each retreated to our rooms with minimal conversation, agreeing to reconvene after some rest.

Ulysses had joined us for the operation, completing our team. All the key players who could help Augustin. The only potential obstacle would be Sebastian Holbrooke.

I stripped off my clothes and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. My muscles ached, and my mind raced despite my body's fatigue. Sebastian should consider himself lucky to remain on the Elder Council. His family wasn't truly Clifflands blood, and his aunt had been neck-deep in this rebellion.

If it weren't for Qiana and Brynn being implicated, I might have asked Augustin not to abolish the law about punishing family members. Sebastian should have been forced to resign due to Helena and Rolf's actions.

What a mess, I thought, the words echoing in my mind. The Holbrooke family had cleverly managed to take over the Ashford seat through Helena. It was a political masterstroke, even if the players were now facing treason charges.

Sleep claimed me before I could untangle the web of alliances and betrayals further, pulling me into darkness where even my troubled thoughts couldn't follow.

I awoke to afternoon light filtering through the curtains. After a quick shower that washed away the last traces of the night's operation, I made my way to the Levenston's sitting room where the others had gathered. Augustin, Bryloch, Adryx, Kieran, Ulysses, Elton, Evanth, Quinn, and Maddox were already engaged in conversation.

Augustin looked up as I entered, a slight smirk on his face. "Sleep well?"

"Like a baby," I lied, ignoring Zephyx's derisive snort in my head. We barely slept an hour, my wolf complained.

Kieran tossed me a folder, the paper rustling as it landed in my hands. "The Vasquez family warned the others. We confirmed it through their phone records."

I nodded, unsurprised, the knot in my stomach loosening slightly. At least we didn't have a traitor among us. "Better than a traitor in our midst."

"Indeed," Augustin agreed, then held up a flash drive between his fingers, the small device catching the light. "Juno and her friends discovered a list with 83 names on your mate's USB drive."

My jaw clenched at his deliberate use of "your mate." The muscles in my neck tightened, and I tasted the tang of anger. Augustin knew exactly what he was doing, probing for a reaction. I kept my face neutral with effort.

"I wouldn't trust anything that comes from Isabelle," I said flatly.

No one looked surprised by my response. We'd all become wary of easy solutions.

Augustin leaned back in his chair, "For what it's worth, we haven't found anything directly linking Isabelle to all this. Everyone is saying the same thing, that she fed false information to her father, which is why she was targeted."

I crossed my arms, unconvinced. "None of you know her like I do. She had opportunities to come clean, to tell me what was happening. She chose not to."

Kieran cleared his throat, drawing my attention. "Maybe she was scared, Matthew. You weren't exactly approachable after everything that happened with Juno. She might have been trying to handle it herself."

His words stung because they contained a grain of truth. I'd been cold to Isabelle after realizing what I'd lost with Juno. The memory of Juno's face when I chose Isabelle flashed in my mind, sending a spike of shame through me. Still, it didn't excuse Isabelle's silence.

"Maybe," I conceded reluctantly. "But something about her doesn't add up. I can't put my finger on it, but my instincts tell me letting her go is a mistake."

Adryx shook his head, "We have no choice. By law, she's fulfilled her obligation. She confessed, cooperated, and provided information. We can't hold her."

Augustin's eyes fixed on me, "Imprisoning a pregnant Luna who has confessed and cooperated would look like tyranny."

He gestured to the list, "Besides, sixty percent of these names are from your territory, Matthew. You have plenty of cleaning up to do."

The thought of Isabelle walking away free made anger surge through me. I stood abruptly, pacing to control my temper.

"This is a private matter between you and Isabelle now," Augustin said softly.

I nodded stiffly, knowing he was right. "I'll handle it immediately. But I want to be part of the interrogations."

"Of course," Augustin agreed. "We're starting tonight."