Chapter 18 – CAMILLE
CAMILLE
The afternoon drags on with more visible investigation of the private rooms reserved for alphas and VIP guests.
This activity ruffles a few more feathers, powerful people who don’t like to have their integrity called into question, but these are also the people with the most to lose if the Games become the norm for replacing alphas.
Luna Williams is indignant and storms off to find Zane, complaining loudly about this invasion of their privacy, while Alpha Williams eyes me with barely concealed disdain.
“Waste of time, if you ask me,” he mutters, rallying support among the other alphas who aren’t keen on being asked to leave their rooms while we search. “If she were any good at investigating, she’d have caught the perpetrator before he put someone in the hospital.”
Ignoring the mutterings of discontent, I interview pack members who were present at various incidents, asking the same questions in different ways while taking copious notes.
Some seem genuinely helpful, others obviously nervous, and a few almost hostile in their responses.
All of it goes into my very obvious documentation.
By the time dinner approaches, the entire compound is buzzing with tension. Everyone knows I’m investigating, wondering what I’ve found, and watching everyone else with new suspicion.
Perfect.
The dining hall fills quickly for the evening meal. Raven raises an eyebrow as I walk in, occupying a spot at Zane’s side, special guests of Blake Steel’s apparently. He pulls back the chair beside him and gestures to it, a welcoming smile on his face.
RAVEN: I’m going to start thinking you’re avoiding me, Cammy
CAMILLE: Just working, Raven
I choose a seat at another table rather than sitting with the senior pack members, wanting to be more accessible to anyone who wants to approach me with information. The food is good but sits heavy in my stomach as I contemplate what comes next.
Eating slowly, pushing my food around my plate, I let conversations flow around me. Competitors discuss tomorrow’s finals in hushed tones, who’s the favourite, who’d make the best alpha, but there’s an undercurrent of fear now.
What if someone else gets hurt?
“Did you find anything?” The wolf beside me asks quietly. “I don’t want to watch it if someone else is going to get attacked.”
One of the males beside her rolls his eyes.
“What?” she continues. “I think they should call it off if they don’t know who’s responsible. It’s not worth someone dying over.”
Her companion scoffs. “And that’s why you’re not alpha material. Alphas would die for their packs.”
Embarrassed at the public rebuke and the giggles of those around the table, her cheeks pink, and she mumbles her point. “For good reason, yes. Not like this.”
She’s young, probably here supporting a friend rather than competing herself. Perfect for spreading information.
I glance around as if checking for eavesdroppers, then lean in slightly and pat her hand. “Don’t worry. I think I have it figured out. I just need to find Dean to make sure I’m right.”
Staring around the room, then back to me, her eyes go wide. “You mean, you know who…”
I press my fingers to my lips, and she immediately stops talking.
“I can’t say yet.” I touch her arm lightly. “But by tomorrow morning, I’m hoping this will all be sorted out.” Scanning the room, I make a big show of looking for Dean. “Don’t suppose you’ve seen Dean?”
She practically vibrates with the need to share this news. “That’s... that’s great.” Closing her eyes, she reaches out via mind link to her alpha. “He’s not responding, but I think he’s in his cabin.”
Nodding, I smile. “Thank you.”
She excuses herself moments later, and I track her progress across the room. She goes straight to a group of friends, leaning in to whisper urgently. They gasp, looking my way, then start their own whispered conversations.
Within ten minutes, the room is buzzing with gossip that the perpetrator is about to get caught, that I’ve found significant evidence and just need Dean to confirm it. The trap is set.
I continue eating calmly, though my nerves tighten with each passing moment. The hardest part is coming. Once I leave this crowded hall, I become a target. My hand drifts to my necklace, checking that the charm is still there.
“Excuse me,” I murmur to my tablemates. My ass has barely left the chair before they start openly debating what Callum and I might have found, their eyes following me as I exit the room and make a brief pit stop at the bathroom.
It’s mercifully empty when I enter. I splash cold water on my face, studying my reflection in the harsh fluorescent light.
I look calm, professional. No sign of the fear building in my chest, or the knowledge that in a few minutes, I’ll be deliberately putting myself in danger.
I force myself to linger, to let the news spread even wider through the guests and give the culprit enough time to act.
Sucking in a few deep breaths, I’m trying to slow my heartbeat when the door opens behind me. I spin, hand moving instinctively to my weapon, only to freeze when I see who it is.
Jax stands there, wearing the same clothes from this morning with dishevelled hair from his day spent in wolf-form spying on me from the forest, but his eyes are clear and focused. The sight of him here, now, sends relief flooding through me.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I whisper, glancing toward the door, despite being so grateful that he is. “If someone sees you...”
We lock eyes, so much passing between us in that one look.
“I know.” He stays near the entrance, arms folded, maintaining distance, as if he doesn’t trust himself to come closer, but I see the twitch in his fingers, giving away his unease.
“I’m fine.” The words are automatic. I can’t let myself think any differently. Feel the fear and do it anyway, and all that.
“Liar.” The word is gentle, understanding. “I’ve got your back.” He takes one careful step closer, just one. “I know you can handle yourself, and I know you’re trained for this. But I’ll be there.”
My throat tightens at the promise. “Jax… the others have their protection runes. You’ll be vulnerable…”
He crosses the remaining distance in two strides, but instead of the desperate passion of our previous encounters, his hands come up slowly, telegraphing his movements, before cupping my face with such gentleness.
“Be careful,” he whispers. “Please.”
He kisses me, a lingering embrace full of longing and devotion, and I kiss him right back. It lasts only a heartbeat before he pulls back, already moving toward the door.
“Jax?”
He pauses without turning.
“Thank you.”
A slight nod, and then he’s gone.
I take several deep breaths to centre myself and return to finish my performance.
The dining hall hasn’t settled in my absence. If anything, the whispers have grown more urgent. I make my way back to the table and take my jacket from the back of my chair, checking carefully to make sure my knife is still in my pocket, before I bid everyone a good night.
More meaningful looks are exchanged at the tables around us as I pass.
“Camille?” Raven steps in front of me, regarding me with suspicion as I bristle with irritation. “What’s going on? I thought we could catch up on the case over dinner, but you’re ignoring me.”
For fuck’s sake. I don’t need this right now.
“I need to go, Raven. It’s important.” I go to step around him, but he moves at the same time and blocks my way, seemingly an accident, and he laughs like it was, but I know better.
His eyes land on my chest, where the chain he gave me is missing, forgotten on my locker. He doesn’t say anything, but I don’t miss the twitch in his jaw muscles.
“We’re having a debrief in an hour. Will you make that?” He subtly sniffs the air around me, his eyes narrowing when he picks up Jax’s scent. “I know this case is big, and you don’t want to share, but that’s why we’re here. To help.”
I glance around, and there are dozens of eyes on us.
“I’ll be back. I just need to check one thing first.” Pointedly, I look at the ground to one side, telling him rather bluntly, to get out of my way.
Reluctantly, he moves away, letting me continue outside. Praying he doesn’t follow me, I don’t look back, breathing a big sigh of relief when he returns to his seat near Blake. Nobody will come after me if I have an escort.
But a woman alone? On her way to blow open the biggest case of her career? Absolutely.