14. Chapter 14
Adrian
I grip the steering wheel tighter as I weave through downtown Saltford Bay's nearly empty streets.
Beside me, Julia sits in silence, her green cocktail dress glimmering in the passing streetlights.
She turned down my offer to go back home and change before meeting Chemko at the station and we drove right from the pack house.
I understand how eager she is to see what Chemko found. I’m as eager as she is.
The Saltford Bay Police Station stands silhouetted against the night sky, most of its windows dark except for a few glowing squares marking the night shift. I park in my reserved spot and Julia is out of the car before I've killed the engine, her heels clicking rapidly across the asphalt.
I catch up to her in a few long strides, placing a hand on the small of her back as we enter the building. The fluorescent lights inside are harsh after the darkness, making Julia's formal attire look even more out of place against the institutional beige walls and linoleum floors.
Deputy Chemko paces the lobby, his uniform crisp despite the late hour. His head snaps up when he hears us enter, relief washing over his young face.
"Sheriff, Ms. Schroeder." He nods, gesturing toward my office. "They're already here."
Through the glass walls of my office, I can see Percy and Seraphina waiting. Percy's arm is wrapped protectively around Seraphina's waist, his features set in a mask of tension. Seraphina's pearl-colored scales catch the overhead lights, shimmering with each slight movement of her body.
I guide Julia forward, feeling like we're walking into a trap we can't yet see.
"Let's get this done," I mutter, pushing open my office door.
The scent of dragon, ashes, and smoke hits me immediately. Judging by the strength of the smell, they are both prey to intense feelings. Percy nods in greeting, his usually relaxed demeanor replaced by tight-lipped determination. Seraphina's violet eyes lock on Julia immediately.
"Chemko, show me what you found." I turn to my deputy, who followed us in silence .
I close the door behind us, shutting out the rest of the station.
My office isn't large, but it's mine, maps of Saltford Bay on the walls, case files stacked neatly on shelves, windows overlooking the darkened harbor beyond.
Now, with two werewolves, two dragons, and a human crowded inside, it feels claustrophobic.
Chemko places his laptop on my desk, his movements quick and precise as he taps at the keyboard.
"Earlier this evening I received a tip from one of Silverine Draak’s, let’s say…
connections in the hacking world," he begins, glancing up at Seraphina, who returns the gaze without so much as an eyelash betraying any feelings.
"They found the tiara listed on a dark web auction site known for moving stolen artifacts to private collectors. "
I raise an eyebrow at Seraphina. "Should I be concerned about these connections?"
She meets my gaze steadily, her violet eyes unblinking.
"As matriarch of the Draak clan, my grandmother has resources you don't, Sheriff. That's all you need to know."
I decide not to push it. Dragons and their clan connections are a complex web I'd rather not untangle right now.
"Show us," I say to Chemko.
He turns the laptop around so we can all see the screen. The site is bare-bones, black background with white text, the kind of stripped-down interface favored by those who don't want to be found. At the center of the page is a listing with multiple high-quality photographs of the tiara.
Seraphina's gasp confirms it before she even speaks.
"That's it. This is the Draak tiara. "
The emeralds catch the light in the photos, the platinum band gleaming. Even through a computer screen, the craftsmanship is unmistakable, ancient dragon artistry that no modern jeweler could replicate.
Julia leans forward, squinting at the images. She suddenly inhales sharply.
"The tablecloth," she says, pointing at the background in the photos. "Look at what the tiara is sitting on."
I follow her finger to the edge of the frame. The tiara rests on a distinctive embroidered linen with a subtle pattern of intertwined vines and flowers.
She locks gaze with Seraphina for a moment, then turns back to me.
"Those are Seraphina’s custom-ordered linens, no mistake about it.
The combined Draak-Ashbane crest is embroidered at the corner, right here," Julia continues, pointing to a subtle pattern in the embroidery that I would have otherwise missed.
"They were delivered yesterday. On the morning of the false alarm. That’s when we were locked in the cellar. "
We all exchange looks as the implication sinks in. The thief never took the tiara off the property. It's still at Windfall Manor.
Along with the thief.
Percy slams his fist on my desk, the wood creaking under the impact. The ashy scent of dragon anger fills the small room.
"This means it’s an inside job," he growls, golden scales rippling across his forearms as his control slips. "Someone with trust."
Someone with trust. Someone with access. Someone no one would suspect .
The frozen image of Kraxon, prowling the hallways when he told my deputies he was supposed to be at a business meeting, flashes before my eyes. I lock gazes with Julia and see the same understanding in her eyes.
Still, I refrain from saying anything. I can’t go around accusing the groom’s brother. Not until I have concrete proof.
"Look at the timer," I say, pointing to a countdown clock in the corner of the screen. "Forty-eight hours until the auction closes."
Julia calculates aloud.
"That's during the rehearsal dinner." Her face pales. "The seller is planning to complete the transaction while everyone's distracted."
Seraphina's wings flutter with agitation, sending papers scattering from my desk.
"We need to recover it before then. If the tiara leaves the estate grounds, who knows if we’ll ever get it back."
I pace the small confines of my office, thinking through our options.
"We could set up a sting," Julia suggests suddenly. "Create a fake buyer profile, outbid everyone else, arrange to meet the seller."
A sting operation? The idea is good. It’s really, really good. Still, it’s not without risks. My instincts scream caution, but I know the logic is sound.
"It could work," I admit reluctantly.
"We'd need someone who knows enough about the tiara to be convincing," Seraphina points out. "If we communicate with the seller and don't sound legitimate, they'll bolt. It also can’t be me or Percy. Dragons are too easily recognizable."
Percy has a point. Dragons are hardly inconspicuous .
“So are wolves, I’m afraid,” Percy says, shaking her head. “If the seller is Other, he’ll smell you from a mile away. Your kind all smell like wet dog.”
“And your kind smells like a burn pit,” I retort to Percy.
"I can do it," Julia says, her voice quiet but firm.
All eyes turn to her. My wolf rises immediately, hackles raised at the very suggestion of putting her in danger.
"Absolutely not," I growl, the words coming out harsher than intended.
Julia straightens her spine, lifting her chin in that stubborn gesture I've come to recognize.
"I can pose as a pixie artifact collector. I'm small enough to pass for one with the right clothes and makeup."
"It makes sense," Seraphina adds, surprising me with her support. "Pixies are seen as less threatening than other species. The seller might be more comfortable meeting with her. They won’t be as suspicious if they know they’ll only meet with a pixie."
"No," I state flatly, my wolf so close to the surface I can feel my eyes beginning to glow. "I'm not putting Julia in danger."
"I'll be perfectly safe," Julia counters, moving to stand directly in front of me. "You and your deputies can set up surveillance from a distance. I just need to get the seller to bring the tiara to the meeting."
"And when they realize it's a trap?" I demand. "What happens then?"
"They won't get close enough to harm me," Julia insists. "Not with you watching."
Percy clears his throat .
"The dragons of both clans will be present as well. No one would dare make a move with that much firepower nearby."
Julia's eyes lock with mine in a silent battle of wills. I see determination there, but also something else. Trust. She trusts me to keep her safe.
My wolf growls, torn between pride in her courage and the primal need to shield her from all harm. The room falls silent as everyone watches our wordless exchange.
Finally, I exhale slowly.
"Fine. But we do this my way. You wear a wire. Chemko sets up full surveillance. I stay within direct eyesight at all times."
Relief washes over Julia's face.
"Thank you."
"And the first sign of trouble, you're out," I add firmly. "No heroics."
"No heroics," she agrees, her lips curving into a slight smile that makes my heart stutter.
Chemko clears his throat, drawing our attention back to the laptop.
"Silverine’s hacker set me up so I could create a buyer profile with a believable history of previous purchases."
"Do it," I instruct, moving behind my desk to watch as he works.
His fingers fly across the keyboard, creating an online identity complete with transaction history and reviews from other sellers.
“Now all we need to do is place a bid high enough to get the seller's attention.” He turns to me. “But we’ll need to send proof of funds before the meet. There’s no way the police department can get its hands on that kind of money. ”
“I can,” Seraphina says with a flat tone. “I won’t be the matriarch who loses the tiara. I’ll get my grandmother to release the funds to send the proof.”
“Okay then.” Chemko turns to look at the bids already pouring in. “The bid is at two million right now. How much do you want to bid?”
“Five,” Seraphina says like she’s ordering fast food and not betting five million dollars on a sting operation. For a long moment, the room remains quiet.
Then Chemko places the bid, the mind-numbing number flashing green on the screen. This is enough to beat any other offer, for sure.
"Now we wait," I say. “And no matter what happens, none of this leaves this room. We already know that the thief is someone close and with access to the tiara. The only way we have even the slightest chance at catching that thief is if we keep everything on a need-to-know basis, and as far as I’m concerned, everyone who needs to know is in this room right now.”
We all exchange long, hard looks. Then one after the other, we each nod.
Under the table, I find Julia's hand and cover it with mine, a gesture both protective and supportive. When our eyes meet again, I see both determination and fear in her gaze, a combination that makes my wolf want to both howl with pride and bare its teeth against whatever threatens her.
The room falls silent as we watch the screen, waiting for a response. I look at Julia, memorizing the determined set of her jaw, the fierce intelligence in her eyes. For her, I'll face whatever comes.
For her, I'll hunt this thief to the ends of the earth.
On the screen, the clock continues its merciless countdown.