Chapter 3
The abandoned mill sits in what the humans call the neutral zone between Cascade Falls and the Shifter Territory. The Alphas and the Mayor of Cascade Falls signed the Pact inside the Old Mill fifty years ago. The morning sun cast long shadows over the weathered wood, giving the Old Mill an eerie, neglected look.
My phone chimes.
Is it true - human died in Shifter Territory?
Sometimes, I”m not sure what Nathan hopes to gain. Maybe in the larger squad room, detectives trade titillating rumors in the hope of one-upping each other? Sebastian hated such behavior, calling it a distracting waste of time.
”You know I can”t answer that.”
I”ll take that as a yes. :)
Take it as no comment.
I roll my eyes as I put my phone in my pocket.
Erik walks up, his usually calm eyes hold a storm, but I”m not sure what emotions war within him. Erik knows that Aiden was shot, but he doesn”t know that Dr. Chang”s forensic analysis makes it clear it wasn”t an accident. She confirmed that the entry and exit wounds were consistent with a .308 caliber round, typically fired from a long-range sniper rifle—a firearm with the power to penetrate the robust physique of a large animal, or in this case, a shifter in his wolf form. Such high-caliber weaponry is excessive for hunting the native wolf population. It”s more suited for larger predators, such as bears. However, we are into winter and the bears are deep in hibernation. The use of this ammunition points towards a sinister intent: the precision and stopping power necessary to ensure the death of a shifter.
The forest is eerily quiet like it”s holding its breath. We walk in a heavy silence. Erik leads, and I follow, my gaze on the frost-covered ground beneath our feet. This path is fairly well traveled, so signs of footsteps wouldn”t be surprising. I can almost feel the animals in the trees watching us and waiting. Erik strides into a clearing, the frost-kissed grass crunching under his heavy boots, and halts. His broad shoulders sag as he bows his head, a silent testament to the grief etched on his tired face.
”He was like a little brother to me,” Erik finally says, his voice a deep rumble in the stillness of the morning. ”Aiden had that... that spark. You know? Made you believe in goodness.”
I nod, understanding the sentiment. ”When did you find him?”
”Yesterday.” Erik”s hands clench into fists at his sides. ”Just after sunrise. I went to search the edge of the Protected Zone. More of the younger Packmates visit Cascade Falls regularly. So I”ve made it a habit to keep extra eyes on this area every weekend. Aiden was... it wasn”t right.”
I feel his pain, but I need details. ”Did you notice anything unusual? Anything out of place?”
Erik shakes his head, his brow furrowed as he casts his mind back. ”Nothing. It was quiet—too quiet, maybe?”
I press on, though I hate to stir his grief. ”Did Aiden have any enemies? Any human contacts that might have wanted to harm him?”
He considers this for a moment before answering. ”Aiden kept to himself mostly. Had a soft spot for humans, so I can”t imagine any of them wanting him dead.”
”Soft spot in what way?”
Erik exhales, a visible cloud in the cold air. ”He believed in coexistence more than most in the Pack. Not this separating where we tolerate each other in shared spaces. He”d talk about outreach, education... Dreamer stuff.”
Outreach and education—a dangerous game for a shifter from the Blackwood Pack that valued separation above all. But then, Erik said more and more of the younger members of the Blackwood Pack visited Cascade Falls regularly. Maybe Aiden”s dreams were making changes?
”Was he involved with anyone? Romantically?” I ask.
”Not that I knew of. But Aiden was private about those things.” Erik hesitates before shaking his head again. ”Aiden had been going to town more often though. I”d thought he might be sweet on someone in town.”
I inhale sharply. Erik catches my eye. I know firsthand how well the Blackwood Pack reacts to the possibility of mating bonds with humans. Even having grown up in the Pack raised by my shifter father hadn”t been enough to allow me to stay. But I can”t let myself get distracted by my own story, I need to focus on Aiden. ”And the last time you saw him alive?”
”Two days ago.” He looks away, pain flickering across his face again. ”He seemed fine—happy even.”
Happy or hiding something?That”s what I need to figure out. ”We”ll find out who did this,” I say with more conviction than I feel.
”Yeah,” he agrees. ”We will.” Erik meets my gaze then, his deep-set eyes hardening with resolve.
We both take a moment to look around the clearing in the cool morning light. A sense of déjà vu washes over me when I spot a familiar pile of leaves. My stomach drops. I pull on a pair of gloves as I bend down. Brushing aside the foliage I notice the leaves are slightly dryer than the ones around the pile. A pendant, tarnished with age and etched with a familiar symbol. A black wolf”s head staring straight ahead surrounded by a circle of thorns: the Shadow Rogues. My heart skips a beat. This changes everything.
Erik”s face pales when he sees it. ”Aiden... he wouldn”t...”
”Who in the Blackwood Pack...” I pause, my mind racing, but I choose my words carefully, ”...had ties with the Shadow Rogues?” The Shadow Rogues were a group of shifters who opposed the Pact, insisting that it only benefited the humans. They vowed to live in the shadows where the human laws have no place. A human hunter with a Shadow Rogue pendant? That wouldn”t happen.
Erik hesitates, his gaze flicking to the pendant and back to me. ”A few. Rowan”s father. Martha, the healer. Zane”s father...” He stops suddenly as though afraid he just said too much.
Zane”s father. Another piece falls into place. The Blackwood Pack”s opposition to human connections is no secret. And Zane would have inherited his father”s pendant.
Erik”s watching me, his brow furrowed. ”Ava, you can”t think...”
Erik”s eyes widen as he takes in my expression and rushes to defend his friend and Alpha. ”Ava, you can”t think Zane would do something like this. He”s honorable, noble. He”d never hurt anyone, especially not one of his own.”
His words sting, reopening the wounds of my broken heart. I remember the day Zane sent me away, his father”s voice echoing in my ears: ”She”s not made to be an Alpha”s mate.”
I swallow hard, trying to keep my emotions in check. ”Erik, I”m not accusing Zane of anything. But I can”t ignore the evidence. I need to find out who”s behind this, and if it leads to Zane, then I have to follow it.”
Erik shakes his head, his jaw clenched. ”No. I won”t believe it. Zane has always put the Pack first, even before his own happiness.” Those words feel like an icy breeze blowing through my layers and straight onto my skin. I feel exposed in a way I hadn”t expected, and it draws me up short.
It brings me back to the nights Zane and I shared, the passion that burned between us. Moments when we both forgot everything but the feel of each other”s skin on our fingertips, where we revealed our deepest vulnerabilities to each other. But in the end, Zane chose the Pack over me.
”Erik, I know how much you care for Zane, but I can”t let personal feelings affect me. I have to find the truth, even if it”s painful.”
Erik”s eyes flash with anger, and for a moment, I think he”ll argue with me. But then he nods. ”You”re right. But I know he isn”t capable of this.” Then he pauses and looks me in the eye, ”I just ask—don”t let what happened eight years ago cloud your judgment.”
His words make my hackles rise. After all of these lonely nights, my work and the cases I”ve worked on are all I have. I”d never throw all of that away just to get back at Zane. Would I? The memory of the hard look on his face when he told me that I”d been nothing more than a summer fling. I swallowed hard to ensure my eyes didn”t fill with tears at the memory. I couldn”t show that kind of weakness in front of anyone, especially not Erik.
Erik nods again and I wonder if he can see my conflicted thoughts. We begin to search the area more thoroughly. As we sift through the leaves and underbrush, I can”t help but feel a sense of unease. The Shadow Rogues have been quiet for years, but if they”re back, they could jeopardize the fragile peace between the Packs and the humans.
I can”t shake the feeling that we”re being watched as we search. I glance around the clearing, but I don”t see anyone. Erik”s senses as a full-blooded shifter are stronger than mine, and he isn”t showing any signs of concern, so I shake off the thought and continue searching. I must find any clue that might lead us to the killer. But as another hour passes and we find nothing, I can”t help but feel a growing sense of dread.
Erik”s voice breaks through my thoughts. ”Ava, look at this.”
I turn to see him holding a small piece of fabric. It”s torn and stained with blood.
”It”s from one of Aiden”s shirts, a Hawaiian shirt he”d wear. But when I found him, he was naked. It looked like he”d been killed as a wolf. Why would one small piece of his shirt be here?” Erik says, his voice tight with anger. ”And I don”t think it was here last night when I found him. Someone”s been here since we found the body.”
I nod, my heart racing. I pull out an evidence bag to collect the fabric. If someone had returned to leave it, could they have also left the pendant? Am I considering my options or engaging in wishful thinking?
Erik catches my eye. I see signs of sympathy, but maybe they are for Aiden. As I hold the evidence bag with the Shadow Rogue pendant, I know I”ll have to confront my own past as I follow this trail.