Chapter 40
Chapter
Forty
Serena hurried beside Logan, her boots crunching on the gravel as they crossed the staging area for the charity climb. The early light stretched over the grounds, as staff worked with tight efficiency. Everyone looked serious, as though expecting the worst. She and Logan had a handful of ropes slung over their shoulders and a list of stations they needed to inspect.
She couldn’t shake the heaviness in her chest. She kept replaying the moment she realized Theo was innocent. Now guilt gnawed at her for not believing him sooner. As they made their way to the first station, Logan shot her a sidelong glance.
“You know, I never believed Theo was behind all this,” he said, lifting a coil of rope higher on his shoulder. “Kai was always too much of a suck-up. He’s the type to smile at you while plotting how to get ahead.”
Serena hesitated, looking at Logan’s serious expression. “You’re saying you suspected Kai from the start?”
Logan nodded. “I’ve seen too many guys like him. Talks a good game, wants to impress everyone who outranks him, but there’s something shifty in his eyes.” He blew out a breath. “As a shifter, I take the mate bond seriously. I know how powerful it is. Theo’s been having a rough time with his bear, but I knew it wouldn’t make him sabotage the whole academy.”
Serena’s chest felt tight. “I wish I’d realized that sooner,” she said quietly. “I was too afraid of repeating a mate bond gone bad. But now I know the truth. I heard Kai talking with my own ears. I hear better in cougar form, not worse.”She was still irritated from Poppy’s accusations about her animal.
Logan patted her shoulder. “We’ll prove to Poppy that Kai is behind this. At least we got the heads up from Theo. We can check these ropes before anyone else gets hurt.”
They reached the first suspect station, where a tangle of rope hung from an anchor on the side of a short practice wall. Serena helped him unclip the rope. They found a subtle cut along the core, exactly like the ones from Theo’s photos. Logan clicked his tongue in frustration.
“This one’s definitely compromised,” he muttered.
He replaced the damaged line while Serena inspected the anchor and the metal connectors. She spotted a loose bolt and tightened it, frowning at how deliberate it seemed. No one would have left it like that by accident. Tension crackled through the air as more staff arrived, hauling gear in frantic attempts to finish setup.
Serena and Logan moved to the next station, swapping more rope and examining the anchor points. Serena felt a rush of relief at each sabotage they managed to fix. But as long as Kai roamed free, it wouldn’t matter how many pieces of gear they repaired. He could do anything.
When they finished the last station, Logan looked at his watch. “We’ve only got a few minutes before participants arrive. You should get going, Serena. Your station is up the mountain.”
Serena paused to catch her breath. “Yeah. Let me know if you see anything else suspicious.”
“I will,” he said. “Stay safe. We’ll handle the rest.”
They parted ways. She felt a surge of urgency as she headed to the medic bay for her supplies. She grabbed a fully stocked medic pack, along with a portable radio. Guilt pressed at her again, but she pushed it aside. All that mattered was preventing any more disasters.
She left the building and started up the mountain trail. After a few minutes, she took out her phone and typed a text to Theo. She told him she was sorry for believing he might have sabotaged the academy and thanked him for sending those photos. She pressed send. The phone showed a loading circle, then flashed a confirmation that the message was sent. But there was no reply. Her gaze dropped to the corner of the screen, watching the reception fade.
While the trail wound through thick pines, she felt a subtle, thrumming awareness. She couldn’t see him, but something inside her said he was out there. The thought made her heart tighten. She felt foolish for ever doubting him, though she knew how her parents’ toxic bond had shaped her fear. She had allowed it to color her view of Theo. Now she would give anything to fix that mistake.
When she climbed higher, she checked her phone one last time, hoping a text from Theo might have gotten through. Nothing showed on the screen. She tucked the phone away, knowing she would have to rely on her radio if an emergency happened.
Her assigned station was the final checkpoint for the charity climb, positioned right at the base of a towering climbing wall. The wall’s surface loomed above her, and ropes dangled from anchor points near the top. A small clearing of tall conifers surrounded this section of the route, and though the ground was mostly flat, the sheer vertical face added a dramatic sense of scale and urgency.
Her medic tent stood off to one side, stocked with basic supplies she might need in an emergency—oxygen canisters, splints, and analgesics all neatly arranged. It was meant to be a safe haven, but in this moment, it felt more like a lone outpost on the edge of a battlefield.
Serena cast a wary glance at the climbing wall, imagining the participants who would soon ascend it. She turned, half-expecting to see Theo’s bear moving through the trees. It reminded her how isolated she was up here, and a nervous flutter rippled through her stomach.
She took a steadying breath. She had no choice but to trust that Logan had swapped every damaged rope, and that Theo could collect the proof they needed. She only hoped that when the day was over, everyone would walk away safe. For now, she was ready to face any emergency that might come her way.