*Grayson*
I leaned into the leather armchair, cradling the worn book about werewolf lore in my hands. Reading about myths and stories about my kind was one of my favorite past times. I would usually spend hours in my bedroom, reading one book after the other but after rediscovering my sanctuary, I couldn’t help visiting the study whenever I wanted to read. I tried to focus on the words before me but my mind, however, kept drifting to Keera.
I checked my phone for what felt like the hundredth time, my thumb hovering over the screen. My message to Keera still showed “delivered” but not “read.” I frowned, a pang of concern creeping in. After Ria’s outburst the previous day, she had seemed overwhelmed but not angry at the situation. I’d gotten he feeling that she’d only needed space but I wasn’t so sure anymore. Usually it didn’t take long for her to read the messages I sent to her and text back a reply.
I re-read my message: “We need to talk as soon as possible. Please. Let me know when you have time.” It was simple, but urgent enough for her to know I would be waiting for a reply. I wondered if she was ignoring the message because she still needed time away from me. Setting my phone aside, I tried to shake off my unease. I could give her the time she needed. She didn’t need to read my texts until she was ready to go. I had her, and I wasn’t letting her go so easily. She could take all the time she needed.
My mind drifted back to my conversation with Ryan. I’d informed him of my decision to let the council know Keera was my fated mate. They’d acted cool after finding out about my relationship with Keera but I knew better than to let their calm demeanor fool me. They were only waiting for the case to finally end before they addressed the fact that I’d broken a major pack law. I’d wanted to wait until we caught the killer before addressing the issue but I was tired of the weird looks and the hushed conversations.
Which was why I wanted to let them know once and for all that the goddess had chosen Keera for me.
Ryan had asked me to be a little patient but I doubted I could any longer. I’d kept it a secret for too long. I wasn’t sure letting them know Keera was my mate would make a big difference; werewolves were forbidden to get involved with humans no matter what the situation was. According to the law, when that was the case, the human mate had to either be turned or rejected. And I had done neither of those things with Keera. Still. I knew they would at least understand the situation a bit better if they knew Keera was my fated mate.
They knew better than most people how strong the pull of the mate bond was; most of the council members were already mated themselves. I sighed, pushing the thoughts to the back of my mind and deciding to focus on what was really important. I tried to refocus on the book I was reading. Raised voices interrupted me before I even continued. I set the book aside, stepping out of the room to figure out what the noise was all about. I stepped into the living room to find Dahlia and Lexi engaged in a serious conversation.
Their heads turned toward me when they heard the sound of my footsteps.
I noticed the passive aggressive look on their faces. “What’s going on?” I asked, taking a stride towards them. Lexi stepped back, saying something about how grateful she was for my presence. Dahlia shot her a dirty look before locking her eyes onto mine. She reached into the back pocket of her jeans and brought out a piece of paper, handing it over to me. I realized it wasn’t just any piece of page but the page of a book. Her voice was barely above a whisper when she spoke.
“I didn’t want to talk to anyone asides you and Keera,” Lexi made a disgruntled sound at the back of her throat and Dahlia shot her another dirty look. Ahh, that’s what the noise had been about. Lexi must not have known I was downstairs. Dahlia turned her attention back to me, jerking her head at the paper in my hand. “The missing page Keera’s been searching for… that’s it right there. I found it in Elena’s room.” She announced, tucking her hands into the pockets of her hoodie.
My instincts immediately snapped to attention.
Had Elena been hiding the page on purpose?
Dahlia explained how Keera and Josie had showed up at her place a few hours ago and informed her of Elena and Gusto’s relationship. Her voice broke as she narrated her shock at discovering Gusto had been cheating on her all along. “I had no idea about Elena and Gusto, I swear.” Her voice trembled, and I could sense her hurt was genuine. Lexi folded her arms across her chest, staring suspiciously at Dahlia as she listened intently.
It was obvious she didn’t trust her.
Dahlia went on with her narration, explaining that Keera and Josie had informed her about the missing page of the book and asked her to help find it. After realizing Elena hadn’t been home when she’d arrived at her house, she’d thought to seize the opportunity. She’d discovered the missing page neatly folded and tucked into one of the books inside her nightstand drawer. “I know I shouldn’t have snooped, but I had promised Keera I would help and I really wanted to. And now… I don’t know what to think.”
My mind racing, I processed the implications of everything she’d said. Elena, the pack healer, potentially involved in the killings? It seemed unthinkable, yet… I recalled Keera’s suspicions about Dahlia, watching her closely. Was she trying to throw us off? I wasn’t even certain Keera had paid her a visit as she claimed, and I didn’t want her to think I doubted her story by asking Lexi about it right in front of her. Even if Keera had, it still seemed suspicious that she’d only waited until then to show up with the missing page.
It felt like I was at a crossroad.
Lexi’s face set in a determined expression. “We need to bring Elena in for questioning, now.” I nodded, agreeing with her. We couldn’t afford anymore delay. Elena could either bee guilty or not, but one thing was certain; she was certainly a person of interest. I was done trying to hide my suspicious about her being involved in the case from her. Lexi pulled out her phone to call Keera and I checked my own phone, silently hoping she’d replied the message I’d sent her. Still nothing. Keera hadn’t even seen my text yet.
Lexi’s brow furrowed as she tried to reach Keera. “It’s not going through,” She muttered, trying again. I felt a pang of concern. Where was Keera? Why wasn’t she responding? Lexi typed away on her phone. “I’m briefing the team on the latest developments. I asked them to see if they can reach Keera.” Her head raised and I saw the worried look in her eyes. “Right now, we need to move quickly.” She slanted a look at Dahlia, seemingly at a loss of what to do with her. I couldn’t agree more. It didn’t matter what she’d just said, Dahlia was still a person of interest.
“I’ll call Ryan,” I told Lexi. “Get him to come to the pack house.” Lexi nodded, excusing herself and heading to her room. I dialed Ryan’s number, my mind whirling with questions. What this all just a big misunderstanding? Was Elena involved in the killings? Was Dahlia? Ryan answered on the first ring, and I filled him in on the situation. “I need you here as soon as possible.” I instructed. “We’re in a tight situation.” I added, meeting Dahlia’s worried gaze.
Ryan arrived within minutes, a grim expression on his face. He seemed surprised to see Dahlia. He shot her a confused look before turning to me. “What have we got?” He asked, rubbing his chin. I briefed him on Dahlia’s discovery and Elena’s potential involvement. He kept slanting glances at Dahlia, keeping his expression unreadable. His eyes narrowed with information I passed, the disbelief in his gaze vivid. “Yeah,” I said, agreeing with him. “Shit just got complicated.”
Lexi returned from her room. “Keera’s still not answering,” She reported, her concern evident. I felt my own unease grow. Where was Keera? Why wasn’t she responding? I tried her cellphone myself but the call wouldn’t go through. I stared at the text I’d sent her. Nothing had change. She still hadn’t read it. My stomach bottomed out and I had the feeling something was incredibly wrong. This was more than just Keera needing space from me.
She wasn’t with her phone.
Dahlia’s voice trembled. “The missing page… it has guidelines for using a masking potion.” I stared down at the paper in my hand. I’d already ran my gaze through it but I still couldn’t understand it’s significance. Why would Elena take that page out? As if hearing my thoughts, Dahlia continued, fiddling with the zipper of her hoodie. “I couldn’t figure out why she would take the page out.” No one could. It wasn’t like Keera and her team would have made use of the guidelines.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Elena’s number, my eyebrows jumping when it went straight to voicemail. My apprehension grew. Where was she? Why wasn’t she responding? I tried again, but the result was the same. Ryan’s gaze met mine, his expression serious. “We need to pay her a visit,” I stated, my instincts screaming for action. If she wouldn’t come in for questioning herself, then we had no other choice but to take the questioning to her.
“Let’s head to Elena’s place.” Lexi said flatly, her determination was unwavering. I sent a short brief to everyone on the council to let them know what was going on. Everyone, but Elena and Ria. I still wasn’t sure I could trust Ria. The drive to Elena’s was tense, the silence between us extremely heavy. Elena still wasn’t home when we arrived. Lexi asked Dahlia if she was still with the spare keys to Elena’s place. Her gaze met mine and Ryan’s. “This is the perfect opportunity to see what else she’s hiding from us.”
Dahlia unlocked Elena’s door, and we stepped inside. Lexi quickly scanned her gaze round the room. “I think we should take a look around, see if we can find anything suspicious.” Ryan began searching the living room while Dahlia headed for the kitchen. I made my way to Elena’s bedroom, my heart sinking with every step. What else would we find? Ryan’s call from the living room made me turn around. My heart raced. That was extremely quick.
“Guys, come see this.” He called, his tone grim. I immediately headed back to the living room, my eyes widening at what he held in his hands. He met my eyes, holding up sweatpants, a hoodie, and a mask. My blood ran cold. I wiped my hand down my face, cursing beneath my breath. “Wasn’t this what whoever had destroyed the CCTV cameras had been wearing?” He asked, his question directed to Lexi. She met his eyes, nodding.
We shared grave glances among ourselves. The evidence pointed to one terrifying conclusion: Elena was involved in the murders. My mind reeled and my heart sank. How could one of my own council member be capable of such atrocities? I grabbed my phone with urgency and shot another text to every council member but Elena and Ria: “Be on the look out for Elena. She’s involved with the murders.” I turned to the group, Dahlia was shaking with fear. I met Lexi and Ryan’s gaze, my voice low and urgent.
“We need to find Keera. Now.”