Chapter 10
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Knox
“Hunt called,” Noah said as he stepped into the kitchen, then stopped dead at the sight of me.
I knew how I looked. Like absolute shit, probably.
The bottle of whisky sat in front of me on the counter, one glass poured and barely touched.
I’d taken maybe two sips. But between my bloodshot eyes, my rumpled clothes, and the general aura of misery radiating off me, I probably looked like I’d downed the entire thing.
Dramatic asshole. That’s what Noah’s expression said.
“I’m fine,” I grunted.
Noah raised an eyebrow and pulled out the stool next to me, settling onto it. His hand reached out and grabbed the whisky bottle, sliding it away from me and setting it on the far end of the counter where I couldn’t easily reach it.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Fucking Isabella happened.” I stared at the amber liquid in my glass, watching the light refract through it. “She found out about Mary and came to rub it in Lina’s face.”
Noah went very still beside me. “So Lina knows now?”
“Oh, yeah. She knows.”
The silence stretched between us. I could feel Noah’s gaze on the side of my face, could sense him trying to figure out how bad the damage was.
“And?” he finally asked. “What did she say?”
“I’m sleeping on the fucking couch for goddess knows how long.”
Noah snorted, the sound escaping before he could stop it. It died quickly though when he saw my expression.
“I told you,” he said quietly. “You should’ve-”
“I know.” I cut him off because I couldn’t handle hearing it right now. Couldn’t handle the I told you so that I absolutely deserved. “I fucking know now. She feels-”
I had to stop. Had to take a breath and push down the emotion threatening to choke me. Through the bond I could feel everything Lina was going through. The betrayal. The sadness. The overwhelming sense of being alone even though she was surrounded by people who loved her.
I’d done that to her. Me. Her mate. The one person who was supposed to protect her from pain, and instead I’d caused it.
“I don’t know how to even start asking for forgiveness, man.” My voice came out rough, broken. “She feels so betrayed and sad. She trusted me and I fucked it up. I fucked it all up.”
Tears gathered in my eyes and I didn’t bother trying to hide them. Noah had seen me at my worst before. After Blake died. After I thought I’d lost Lina forever. He’d held me together when I wanted to fall apart, and he’d never judged me for being weak.
My wolf was cursing me inside my head. Calling me every name in the book and then some. Stupid. Selfish. Arrogant. I’d thought I knew better than my mate. Thought I could protect her by keeping her in the dark. And now I was paying the price.
I deserved it. I deserved every second of the agony I was feeling right now.
“Start by letting her out,” Noah said, his voice serious. “She’s been trapped in this house for weeks. Give her some freedom. Some control over her own life.”
“And then?”
“Never leave her side. Forced proximity. Be there every time she turns around. Not in a creepy stalker way, but in a supportive, attentive way. Show her that you’re not going anywhere, no matter how angry she is.
” He paused, considering. “Annoy her to the point where she forgives you just to make you shut up. And probably get on your knees and beg for it. Literally. On your knees. With flowers and chocolate and possibly some jewelry. Actually, definitely jewelry. Go big or go home.”
“You think that’ll work?”
“I think Lina loves you and you love her, and that means you’ll figure it out eventually. But you need to put in the work, Knox. You need to show her that you understand what you did wrong and that you’ll never do it again.”
Noah was right, and the thought of groveling didn’t bother me one bit. I’d get on my knees and beg for as long as it took, forever if necessary, because my mate’s forgiveness was worth anything. I’d do whatever Lina needed to feel safe with me again.
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
“That’s what brothers are for.” Noah leaned back in his chair. “Now, let’s talk about the other issue. Where are we with Cole and the search?”
I forced myself to switch gears, to push aside the personal pain and focus on the threat that was still out there. Mary Thorne was still missing. Still dangerous and presumably targeting my mate and children.
“No one seemed to know Mary in Shadowcrest or Moonfang,” I said. “Cole spent weeks there, asking questions, showing her picture around. If she passed through either territory, she did it without being noticed. Which means either she’s very good at hiding, or she went somewhere else entirely.”
“That’s a step back.”
“Tell me about it.” I ran a hand through my hair, frustration building in my chest. “Lucio’s report from earlier wasn’t great either.
He couldn’t find the person who messed with our cameras.
Whoever hacked into our system covered their tracks well.
But he did leave some additional security measures in our network in case someone tries to do it again. ”
“At least that’s progress.”
We’d been lucky when Lucio had asked to transfer to Ravenshollow a few weeks back.
He’d come from Shadowcrest, apparently tired of the politics there and looking for a fresh start.
His expertise in cybersecurity had been immediately useful.
He’d found holes in our network that none of our own specialists had noticed, vulnerabilities that could have been exploited if we hadn’t patched them.
That had earned him a place in the pack and some trust. Not complete trust, obviously. New pack members always had to prove themselves over time. But enough that I’d assigned him to handle the technical side of our security situation.
“I asked him to open a human search for Mary as well,” Noah said. “Missing person report. And I’ve sent some private investigators to look for her. Humans who can ask questions in places our wolves can’t go without attracting attention.”
“Anything so far?”
“Nothing. It’s like she vanished into thin air.” Noah shook his head. “Wherever she’s hiding, she’s doing a good job of staying hidden.”
“She had help. She had to have help. Mary’s not smart enough to pull this off alone.”
“Agreed. But we haven’t been able to figure out who’s helping her.”
We sat in silence for a moment, both of us stewing in our frustration. A month of searching and we had nothing. No leads. No sightings. Just a trail that went cold the moment Mary got into that car on the highway.
I was about to suggest we expand the search to more distant territories when the sound of footsteps on the stairs made us both look up.
Lina came rushing into the kitchen, stress written all over her face. Her eyes were still red from crying, her hair a mess from sleep, and she was wearing mismatched socks. But what hit me hardest was the panic in her expression. Raw, unfiltered terror.
Noah and I were on our feet in an instant.
“What happened? What’s wrong?” I asked, already moving toward her.
“It’s Pine Valley’s shop!” she shrieked, her voice cracking. “Someone’s trying to light it on fire!”
She didn’t wait for a response. She just turned and ran toward the front door, her pregnant belly making her movements awkward but determined. I caught up to her in three strides, grabbing her arm to stop her.
“Lina, wait-”
“Don’t tell me to wait!” She yanked her arm free, fury and fear battling in her eyes. “Someone is trying to burn down my shop, Knox. My parents’ shop. The place they built. The place I’ve spent my entire adult life protecting. I’m not waiting for anything.”
“You can’t drive. You’re too upset, and-”
“Then YOU drive!”
Noah stepped in before I could respond. “He can’t. He’s been drinking.”
Fuck. FUCK. One glass of whisky. That’s all I’d had. But Noah was right. I couldn’t risk it. Not with my pregnant mate in the car. Not with so much at stake.
Lina looked between us with an expression of pure disbelief. “Are you kidding me right now? My shop is about to burn down and you two are arguing about who can drive?”
“Lina-”
“You know what? You’re both useless. I’LL drive.”
“Like hell you will.” Noah grabbed his keys from the counter. “I’ll drive. Knox, you stay here and get a fucking grip. Call Hunt. Call Mother and Father. Get them here to watch the twins, and then follow us when you can.”
I wanted to argue. Every instinct screamed at me to stay with my mate, to be by her side, to protect her from whatever new horror was unfolding. But Noah was right. Someone needed to stay with the kids. Someone needed to coordinate.
And I’d made this mess by drinking instead of dealing with my problems like a goddamn adult.
“Go,” I said to Noah, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. “Take care of her.”
“Always do.”
Lina was already out the door, not even looking back at me. The bond between us was still muted on her end, still locked down tight. I couldn’t feel what she was feeling, couldn’t sense her emotions. She was shutting me out, and I deserved every second of it.
Noah followed her out and a moment later I heard the car engine start and tires crunching on gravel as they pulled away.
I stood there in the kitchen, fists clenched at my sides, and fought the urge to put my fist through the wall.
Stupid. Fucking stupid. I’d been sitting here feeling sorry for myself while my mate needed me. While her livelihood was being threatened. While everything she’d worked so hard to build was in danger of being destroyed.
I grabbed my phone and called Hunt first. He answered on the second ring.
“What’s wrong?” No greeting. No pleasantries. Hunt could always tell when I was in crisis mode.
“Someone’s trying to torch Pine Valley shop. Lina’s on her way there with Noah. I need you here to help with the twins, then we’re following them.”
“On my way.” He hung up without another word.
Next I called my parents. My mother answered, her voice groggy with sleep.
“Knox? What time is it?”