Caleb’s [POV]
“This isn’t working.” I roared, frustration and panic eating at me the longer we combed the woods, going in circles.
There was no trial, no fucking trial of scent to find, and I was starting to lose it by the time Cole loped over and grabbed me, squeezing my shoulders.
“Don’t. If you lose it, you won’t be any good to Ren, and right now, you’re losing it. Stay calm. We’ll find something.” He said softly, his eyes glowing until I nodded and blew out a breath, pulling away to stare into the darkness.
“This doesn’t make sense. None of it. Sheppard took her. His brothers are convinced of it, and as crazy as it sounds, I feel in my gut that he is alive. But what does that mean, and why now? Dammit. Why now? Why not before I mated her?” I asked softly, watching Cole frown and consider it.
“Maybe it isn’t about the timing so much as there was an opportunity?” he asked, frowning when I gave him a questioning look. “Think about it. Enforcers have been scouring her place for weeks, and in the midst of it, a dead body turns up.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, I’m thinking this is connected, Caleb. A Rogue shifter just suddenly appears and turns up dead?” Cole asked, snorting when I grunted.
“You think Joe Carver was after Ren?” I asked, shaking my head. “We found him far away. And there was no blood near Ren’s trailer.”
“Joe Carver was a Rogue, a banished Rogue. I bet he was considered a mercenary, and from what you found out about the male, he was a smart one. Ops. You said he worked Ops for his pack.”
I nodded, dropping my head to think about this and sort through the facts. It’s what I did, and now that I had a connection, it all started to fall into place for me. Joe Carver was here to…create chaos. From what little I learned about the male, he was a drifter and had no honor, but he wasn’t some dirty homeless shifter. He had money.
“So, if we think this is connected, and I’m starting to because I don’t believe in coincidences, then how did he end up dead?” I mused, my eyes narrowing when something else occurred to me.
That Rogue was killed about the same time Ren told me she’d heard the Sheppard brothers outside her trailer, trying to torment her. That meant they knew something, and as soon as the thought hit, I growled and turned to stare at them where they were standing around, talking.
“Caleb?”
I ignored Cole and stalked their way, and it was only after I slammed Josh into a tree and had him gasping that Cole caught up.
“You’re going to start talking right now, or the next thing I do is rip your throat out and chew on your windpipe. Are we clear?” I asked, my jaw so tight my bear growled when I felt a tooth crack. “Joe Carver.”
Just two words, a name, but I saw the minute Josh realized because he closed his eyes and slumped while his brothers all cursed.
“Caleb, let go,” Cole muttered, pulling me away so that Josh fell to the ground and gasped, his brothers glaring as they helped him up. “As for you, don’t think I’m holding him back. I’d like some answers before he does kill you fools.”
“Fuck.” Josh whispered, all four Sheppard brothers sharing a look before the oldest cursed and shook his head.
“Found that mangy mutt out near Ren’s place.”
“Because you were there to scare her!” I accused, frowning when they all shook their heads.
“Fuck no. We told you we’d started seeing the error of our ways, and after mama’s tirade about Ren, it all came down on us. My mate was already pissed at me after Walker talked to her, and as I said, I finally wised up. We all did. We went out there to patrol. No offense, but your people weren’t exactly keeping up, and Ren’s wolf is useless in a fight.”
“Not to mention how she shoots.” Another Sheppard huffed, sharing a laugh with the rest of them.
Even I snorted and rolled my eyes because as much as Ren wanted to argue, the female couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, even standing right next to the thing.
“So you were out there…?” Cole prompted, losing patience.
“Found that mutt skulking around and figured he was a drifter with no good intent. He tried to shift and attack, but I got to him first. That’s the sum of it. When we realized what had happened, well, I wasn’t going to prison for a Janus pack reject.” Josh said, shrugging while other Enforcers came closer and hummed their agreement. “Plus, he was too close to Ren’s place. I figured he was going after her, and it pissed me off, alright. I have a lot to make up for with her, we all do, and I wasn’t happy about that. I’m not sorry either.”
“And you won’t be,” Walker growled, stepping up beside me and giving me a look.
“You thinking what I am?” he asked, his eyes swirling with fury when I nodded.
“I’m thinking Joe Carver was out here scouting for them, for Shane Sheppard, which means he’s with them.”
“And it means Ren is too.” Trey gasped, cursing soundly while my eyes widened.
“Jesus. They think she can help them with Walker.” I breathed, not sure if I wanted to laugh at the notion or cry.
Ren had the Knowing, and it had taken me some time to come to grips with it. I sounded like an ass, but I didn’t like that she could connect to me and read my mind. Until I realized that wasn’t how it worked for her. The truth was, she dreamed things sometimes, and as for connecting, Ren’s head was so busy arguing anything she did manage to get was scrambled. It was ridiculous to consider her some mind-reading villain.
“Oh, God, Caleb. They’re going to freak when they realize she’s a kook!” Cole yelled, his panic turning my own into a raging sense of desperation.
“We need to move!” I yelled, turning to run while my bear growled, and a stirring in the back of my mind told me my wolf was waking again.
Ignoring it because I didn’t have time to deal with him, I gritted my teeth and only allowed myself to think about what was important.
Ren.
My mate.
Mine.