Chapter 163 – The Lost Pack (Paige & Ryder) Novel Online Free

“Rumour Roulette,” he repeats slowly. “That’s what we’re calling this?”

Callen stretches, lacing his hands behind his head. “Got a better name? Because I think it’s catchy.”

Remy snorts, though there’s no real humour in it. “It’s reckless.”

Callen’s grin widens.

Parker leans forward, elbows on the table, thoughtful as ever. “You’re talking about a controlled leak operation, right? Different intel for different wolves, see which story lands in Greg’s lap?”

“Exactly.” Callen points at him. “If one of them runs their mouth, we’ll know which story they heard, and who we can trust.”

I stare at him, half impressed, half horrified. “You’ve done this before, haven’t you?”

Callen shrugs. “Maybe. Let’s just say back in the foster homes, I had a few creative ways of sniffing out the snitches.”

Ryder gives a quiet hum, his eyes narrowing with interest. “It’s not a bad idea. Dangerous, but smart. We just have to make sure no one gets suspicious.”

Parker’s already reaching for a pen, sketching something on the back of one of my notebook pages. “We’ll need distinct details for each version. Small enough to seem believable, but not serious enough to cause trouble if they leak.”

Remy frowns, crossing his arms. “Fake plans,” he suggests. “Ryder could ask suspected pack members for ideas on father and son plans, or just casually mention a plan that would leave him and Jax an easy target. Then we have a team nearby to see if hunters turn up.”

“You want to use Jaxon as bait?” I frown.

“Yes, but not really. It’s one thing I know for sure they won’t be able to resist. If they think there’s an opportunity to get their hands on Jax, they’ll take it.” He shrugs.

“I hate it, but he’s right,” Rye sighs.

“So now we need a list of pack members to test first,” Callen says, a hint of excitement in his tone.

“Nina,” both Remy and I say in unison.

All eyes move to me then, and I grimace, knowing they are going to demand an explanation. I sigh.

“When Callen was injured and in the healer’s cabin, he fell asleep, and I went to find a bathroom. She just had an attitude with me, it didn’t seem like a huge issue at the time,” I say, trying to play it down.

“Anything like that happens in the future, you tell one of us,” Ryder grumbles before turning to Remy. “Why do you have reason to suspect her?”

“She’s just been giving me some weird vibes lately,” he shrugs. “I can’t put my finger on why.”

We spend the next fifteen minutes compiling a list until we have six names, most I don’t recognise.

“Okay, let’s get this party started,” Callen says proudly, looking down at the list.

Ryder meets my gaze, searching my eyes. “Are you okay with this?”

I hesitate. “If it means finding out who’s putting Jax in danger? Yeah. But it makes me sick that it’s come to this. These are supposed to be your people.”

“They are,” Ryder says softly. “Most of them. But every pack has one or two who think power means loyalty only matters when it benefits them.”

“We will find out which one it is,” Callen says. “We can’t afford to let this sit. The longer we wait, the more the hunters learn.”

Remy lets out a low sigh. “We need to keep this circle tight. No one we don’t trust with our lives can know.”

“Agreed,” Ryder says. “Let’s make it happen. The sooner we start, the sooner we end this.”

I lean back in my chair, watching the four of them fall into their rhythm as they debate who to start with.

Callen catches my eye and winks. “Don’t look so worried, sweetheart. This’ll be fun.”

“Fun?” I snort, raising an eyebrow.

He flashes me a wolfish grin. “There’s nothing more satisfying than watching a traitor hang themselves with their own words.”

Ryder groans under his breath. “You have a disturbing idea of fun.”

“Hey, you’ve got your brooding thing. Let me have mine.” Callen pushes away from the table and ruffles my hair as he passes. “You’ll see, Paige. Rumour Roulette always finds the liar.”

Callen heads up the stairs with a confident swagger. Parker’s already collecting papers, murmuring about cover stories and timing. Remy follows Callen, probably to make sure he doesn’t cause too much chaos too soon.

Ryder stays behind, crouching next to me like he had earlier. His eyes soften. “You did well today,” he says quietly. “You held your ground. Try not to worry about this, we’ll find out who’s behind it.”

I nod, the weight in my chest easing just a little. “I know we will. I just wish it didn’t have to be one of our own.”

He exhales, his thumb brushing over my knee. “Betrayal always comes from close to home. But so does strength.”

I smile faintly. “That sounded almost wise.”

“Almost,” he teases, “I think I heard it in a war movie once.” He admits, and for the first time since the meeting, I laugh.

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