*Grayson *
I tentatively stepped into the conference room, my eyes scanning the space as all the organs in my stomach twisted into large knots. Papers were scattered everywhere, chairs were overturned, the control monitor had been destroyed and the usually tidy room was in shambles. “What in the world…” I trailed off. The place was an absolute and complete mess. I moved around the room, trying to piece my thoughts together. The room looked as though a hurricane had been trapped inside.
Keera’s expression was cold, her eyes flashing with anger at the state of her sanctuary. “I came back for my tablet charger and found this,” she explained, gesturing around the room. Her team members were moving around, trying to save whatever they could. I could sense Keera’s frustration, her anger. They’d finally been getting somewhere in the case and someone had tried to jeopardize the case. This was more than just an abnormal ransacking; it was a deliberate attempt to sabotage their investigation.
Kathleen stepped out of the room and returned a minute later with three briefcases which she handed over to Keera the briefcases she’d arrived with. “I’m glad I decided to come back with these,” She said. “I had kept them in my room when I arrived,” She explained, glancing around the room. “There’s no saying what might be going on in the lab right now..” Keera took the briefcases from her and gently laid them on the table, asking her team to gather around. She met their eyes firmly, inhaling a deep breath.
“I’d been hoping someone might have an idea of what happened,” She began, “But since no one does, we have to strategize. The surveillance monitor has been compromised, and so we can no longer receive footages around the pack.” It was definitely not the time but I couldn’t help noting there was something sexy about Keera when she was all professional and in charge. “This might be a bit of an inconvenience but I’m going to need you guys on patrol for now until I’ve brought Grayson up to speed on the case and handed him the vaccines.”
My eyebrows raised. They’d come up with vaccines? For the first time since we’d discovered the body of the first victim, I felt truly hopeful. If they had built vaccines then we were likely not going to record another death. The thought made my chest loosened a little bit. She stared at the bald headed guy. “Joe, you’re in charge. You know the pack better than the rest of them.” Her voice was calm. “Please see how much ground you guys can cover. You can get help from any of the pack warriors you trust.”
He nodded at her words, they all talked between themselves for a bit and then her team left the room.
She turned her attention to me.
“I’ll send a message to Ryan and Ginny,” I informed her. We couldn’t afford anymore dilly-dallies. “They’re the only ones on the council I truly trust.” Whatever Keera and her team had been working on, whatever they’d discovered, it had greatly upset the killer, and there was no saying what a raging and pissed off psychopath was capable of. Keera nodded at my words, her eyes never leaving mine. I mind linked them requesting their presence.
Ryan and Ginny arrived shortly, their faces reflecting their shock at the state of the room. “Who on earth could have done this?” Ginny asked, her eyes wide with horror. If she had any doubts about the killer being someone we knew, I was sure they disappeared at that moment. There were only a few people who knew this room existed in the house, and even fewer people who knew I had given the room out to Keera and her team, so they could hold their meetings in it.
“And why?” Ryan wondered.
Keera’s eyes flashed. The case was really starting to get to her, that much I could tell. She shot us a slightly worried look. “We discovered just this morning that Elena and Gusto are in a romantic relationship.” Ryan and Ginny dropped their mouths open in shock. I clenched my jaws, trying to control my rage before I lost control Elena and Gusto? Ginny blinked, shaking her head as if to make sense of what Keera was saying. She wasn’t the only one completely lost. She cut in when Keera tried to continue, raising her hand in the air.
“Wait, wait, wait…” She said confusedly. “I thought Gusto was in a relationship with Dahlia?” She asked. I’d given Ryan permission to discuss clearer details of the case with Ginny after finding out she also suspected the killer was someone in our inner circle. Keera gave us a rundown of everything they’d discovered about Gusto and Elena. By the time she was done, my mind had been scrambled. I wasn’t sure what to think anymore, and I was pretty sure Ryan and Ginny felt the same way.
Elena had not said a word about being in a relationship herself with Gusto the day I’d invited Dahlia and her to my study. Dahlia, on her own part, had seemed jittery at first but after I’d dismissed them without any punishment, she’d relaxed. Now I’m finding Elena was also involved with Gusto herself? So who was he cheating on and who was he cheating with? I ran my hand through my hair, grateful when Keera brought up the topic about the vaccines.
“I need you guys to give everyone a shot of these as soon as possible.” She urged, handing the briefcases over to Ryan and Ginny. She hurried to her room to get the last one, reappearing in less than a minute and handing it over to me. “There’s no telling what the killer is up to right now, but this should keep everyone safe for a few months.” She managed a small sad smile, looking around the room. “I sure hope we would have long concluded the case by then.” She slapped her hand on her thigh, sobering up. “I’ll clean this up. You guys can get going.”
I handed my briefcase over to Ryan, letting them know I would be with them shortly. Ginny shot me a weird look but walked out with Ryan. Keera only had one second to arch her eyebrow at me before I was pulling her into my arms and crashing my lips down on hers. “Please stay safe, Keera.” I breathed against her lips. I held her chin gently, kissing her deeply before forcing myself to pull away from her. “I mean it, Keera. If you find anything suspicious, if you think something’s not right, it doesn’t matter what it is, call me.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
I left her to clear out the conference room and met up with Ryan and Ginny at the front door. I took two briefcases from them so they both had one each. We had to spread out and cover the entire pack, ensuring every wolf received the vital protection. “Ginny, you can cover the southern border, right?” I asked, relieved when she nodded. The southern border was undoubtedly the safest. It was the closest to the center of the pack. “Ryan, take the eastern border. I’ll hit Nyx up and we’ll cover North and West.”
Ryan agreed with a nod, shooting me a grave look. I could tell he could also feel the same apprehension I was. He pulled Ginny for a kiss and whispered something in her ears. I watched as they headed in opposite directions. Right now, Nyx was the next person I trusted unconditionally on the council. I mindlinked her: ‘Need your help with vaccinations. I’ll explain when you arrive. Meet me at the town hall.’
She must have been close by already because I saw her almost immediately. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. “What’s going on?” she asked, accepting the briefcase I handed her.
“We’ve had a breakthrough with the virus,” I explained. “Kathleen created a serum, and we need to distribute it to the pack immediately.” Her face lit up. “Ginny and Ryan are taking the Southern and Eastern borders. We’re taking the rest.” She fell into step beside me as we headed North.” I filled her in on the recent discoveries about the case, watching her eyes bulge more and more with each announcement. She was silent when we finally got to the spot we were supposed to part ways.
She stared at me with an unreadable expression. “Why didn’t you call Ria?” She asked softly. “She’s usually your go-to.” Our eyes met and held, an understanding passing between us. From my rejection of Ria to the attraction between Keera and me, we both knew Ria’s loyalty had become questionable. I shrugged, my expression neutral. I didn’t need to say more, not when it came to Nyx. She was one of the few people who really understood me.
She patted her briefcase and gave me a small salute, diffusing the tension. “I’ll see you later then.” She said, immediately heading West. I quickly North, stopping at the first building I came across. It didn’t take long for exhaustion to kick in hours later, but we pushed until we had finished our task. Everyone in the pack had received the vaccine; council members included. I climbed up the stairs to my room and took a shower before heading to the other side of the house.
I knocked softly on Keera’s door, my heart racing with anticipation. She swung her door open, her breath catching when she caught sight of me. “Hey,” She said, leaving the door open and taking a step back. I walked into the room, letting the door close behind me. My eyes locked on hers. “The vaccination went smoothly,” I began, taking a step closer to her. She eyed the shortened distance between us. “Everyone’s safe,” I added, taking another step.
I picked up her scent and my wolf stirred. She nodded, letting me know she was keeping up with what I was saying. “We won’t be finding any bodies anymore,” I breathed, taking another step closer, my body drawn to hers like a magnet. The air crackled with electricity. I placed my hands gently on her hips, standing so close to her our noses were almost touching. She reached out to touch the lapels of my shirt, hesitating for a second, her hands hanging in the air.
“Grayson…” She whispered, trailing off when she couldn’t find it in her to send me out.
I reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she leaned into my touch. That was all the signal I needed. My lips found hers, and we were lost. Our kiss was hurried, with a sense of urgency neither of us had known existed. I brought her body flush against mine, mine skin everywhere it made contact with hers. Time stood still as we explored each other’s mouths, our tongues engaging in a sensual duel.
I pushed back. “Keera…” I murmured. She gripped the collars of my shirt and pulled me back on her, our faces slanting as we deepened the kiss. Her arms snaked around my neck and my hands cupped her ass, caressing the soft round flesh. I bit down on her lip, in desperate need to hear her moan. I slipped my hand beneath her skirt, rubbing her between her legs. She unzipped her skirt, her lips never leaving mine as she bunched the material around her waist.
Spreading her legs apart, kissing her repeatedly as I backed her against her dressing table. The sound of our heavy breathing filled the room, desire threatening to drive us insane. We heard the creak of the door a little too late. We pulled away from each other and glanced at the door, our eyes finding Ria’s stormy ones. She stood by the doorway, her expression one of complete disgust. There was a still silence in the room, and then it was pierced by the sound of Ria’s harsh words.
“Is this some sort of a joke?”