CALLUM
Something about this entire situation didn’t sit right with me.
I leaned against a tree at the edge of the clearing where we found the body, watching Ava look for anything that might help us work out what’s going on.
She hadn’t been combing through the undergrowth long when Jacob and dad reached back out to us both through the mindlink.
“Ava, Matthew is a twin. Identical.”
I saw Ava’s mouth fall open at Jacob’s words.
“He’s a twin? And Martha didn’t think to tell us this?”
I was suddenly very glad that Ava’s power couldn’t truly affect me since we mated because if it still did, I’d have been forced to my knees from the weight of her anger.
I walked towards her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders, bringing her in against my chest, my right hand stroking her hair. “You’re not on your own, Ava. I’m right here with you. We’ve got this.”
AVA
I’d love to know how exactly just being close to Callum can calm me down like that, but for now, it’s just a welcome mystery.
I buried my face in his chest, focusing on calming my breathing.
“Sorry about that, Alpha, Beta,” I called through the link. “Someone needs to talk to Martha again, on her own.” I growled. “She knew we were looking for Matthew. The fact he has a twin should be considered pretty fucking critical information.”
“Beta Alex and I will see it done, my Queen,” Jacob’s calm voice came down the link. I slammed the link shut, going back to just focusing on the feeling of Callum’s arms around me.
I spent the next hour just wrapped in Callum’s arms and smell whilst we waited for recovery to pick up our friend. Once he was gone, Callum and I shifted to run back to the packhouse as our wolves.
We still hadn’t heard anything from Jacob or Alex, and I was starting to lose patience. I had never been known for my patience, and since this whole nightmare started, it was just so much worse.
“Alpha Jacob, how are you doing with Martha?” I asked through the mind link.
“Nothing yet, my Queen.”
“Where is she?”
“At the guest house still.”
“Move her to one of the interrogation rooms beneath the packhouse. Callum and I will take it from here.”
Ten minutes later, Jacob, Callum and I were sitting in the office, watching Martha pace the small, dank interrogation room on the CCTV.
“What’s our play, my Queen?” Callum asked, all professional.
“Well, my King. We need to find out if Martha here, or her brothers, are involved with the plots against me and so us.”
He nodded. “Who do you want to take the lead?”
I thought about it for a minute. “I’ll lead. Callum, you can be my second. Jacob, I would appreciate it if you and Alex can hang around here so if we need to bring anyone else in or make anything happen, you’re on hand ready to go.”
“Of course, Ava,” Jacob bowed his head.
“Alright then,” I glanced at Callum with a smile. “Shall we get this show on the road?” He gave me a small smile, opening the door for me with his left hand, his right landing on the small of my back.
Martha was sitting on the lone chair in front of the table with her head on her arms when we got to her.
“Martha?” I called.
She didn’t respond.
I swore under my breath as I moved across the room towards her.
No pulse, and she wasn’t breathing. “Fuck!” I growled. “How has this happened?”
Callum shrugged. “There’s CCTV in here, if there’s anything to see, we’ll find it.”
“Thanks, Callum,” I smiled. “We’ll get your dad and Jacob on it. They had her moved up here, if there’s anything to see, they should have seen it.”
“Jacob, Alex, get your backsides in here,” I growled through the mindlink.
Fortunately, as if they could feel my mood, the pair of them rushed in within no time at all.
“Jacob, Alex. I need you two to find out what the hell happened here. Find out how Martha ended up dead before we could interrogate her.”
I swapped to mindlinking Callum. “Something doesn’t sit right, whatever is going on under the surface feels like it’s ramped up. I need to get Noah marked and mated as soon as possible, and Theo as soon after that as possible.”
“I agree, Ava. Theo might be being difficult, but he will get there eventually.”
“Hopefully it doesn’t take too long, Callum. If we aren’t careful, it will be all of us that aren’t…”
CALLUM
I turned to face her, mouth open in concern when she suddenly cut off.
She was standing in front of me, lips pursed, eyes open but misty. Ava was having a premonition, and it was a long one.
I helped her sit down and squatted in front of her, holding her hands in my own, ignoring the concerned babble of dad and Jacob behind me.
“Callum?” Ava’s voice was low as she came out of her trance.
“I’m here, little one. What did you see?”
“Theo, we need to go to Theo,” her voice was low, desperate. “Theo isn’t safe.”
“Fuck,” I growled. “He’s the weak link, isn’t he?”
She nodded.
“Theo!” I shouted through the mindlink. “Where are you?”
No reply.
“I’ll try Noah, you keep trying Theo,” Ava’s voice was stubborn, certain.
“Noah!” Ava shouted, out loud. “Thank fuck. Is Theo with you?”
“Ava, can you let me in?” I whispered, she nodded, then pulled me into her link with Noah.
“He’s not with me, no, Ava, Callum. Why?”
“He’s in danger, we need to find him, pronto.”
“Ava? What do you mean, danger?”
“No time, we just need to find him.” Ava slammed the link shut, sprinting out of the room, opening up a link to the entire pack as she ran.
“Has anyone seen King Consort Theo?” she growled through the link, only getting a chorus of “no, my Queen” in response.