“Oh no, baby. I’m keeping you. That was the deal, you see. The Janus pack wasn’t exactly recruiting into the ranks until I promised them some help, but I had conditions of my own. Your gift for their help in getting to you. You think this was easy with all those Enforcers walking around, always watching you so closely?”
“Shane—”
“Even my brothers started protecting you. That pissed mama off, but I wasn’t surprised. They were always weak and too nice to you. They killed Joe, you know?” he asked, making me frown because Trey told me about the dead shifter in the woods, and now it all made sense.
“Why?”
“Because he was there, scouting, creating a distraction so I could get to you without everyone sniffing around your trailer. But you weren’t there!” he snapped, pulling back when I flinched.
“Out whoring with that feral loser again. Tell me, how does it feel knowing you mated a male who doesn’t even want you?”
That hurt, but as usual, I found a way to ignore the truth. It helped. I mean, I had my own problems right now, and crying about Caleb’s sucky mating wasn’t a priority. But as soon as I could, I was telling him how unacceptable it was.
“Better than being stalked by an alcoholic loser with a booze gut!” I yelled, and this time, I expected the slap and smiled through it.
Which wasn’t easy. I was no badass, and I wasn't courageous. I wore pink crocs and yellow socks and cried when I watched cute kitten videos on YouTube, dammit. Last week I cried while watching a TikTok video reel of people getting married! I was soft. A soft, cuddly, weak woman who silver-lined everything and didn’t do smarmy.
Which made me quake with terror and pray harder that someone was looking for me. Preferably Caleb, but honestly, that was such a long shot it was going to take a lot more lying to convince myself of that one.
Chapter 26 Caleb
“T
his isn’t working.” I roared, frustration and panic eating at me the longer we combed the woods, going in circles.
There was no trial, no fucking trial of scent to find, and I was starting to lose it by the time Cole loped over and grabbed me, squeezing my shoulders.
“Don’t. If you lose it, you won’t be any good to Ren, and right now, you’re losing it. Stay calm. We’ll find something.” He said softly, his eyes glowing until I nodded and blew out a breath, pulling away to stare into the darkness.
“This doesn’t make sense. None of it. Sheppard took her. His brothers are convinced of it, and as crazy as it sounds, I feel it in my gut that he is alive. But what does that mean, and why now? Dammit. Why now? Why not before I mated her?” I asked softly, watching Cole frown and consider it.
“Maybe it isn’t about the timing so much as there was an opportunity?” he asked, frowning when I gave him a questioning look. “Think about it. Enforcers have been scouring her place for weeks, and in the midst of it, a dead body turns up.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, I’m thinking this is connected, Caleb. A Rogue shifter just suddenly appears and turns up dead?” Cole asked, snorting when I grunted.
“You think Joe Carver was after Ren?” I asked, shaking my head. “We found him far away. And there was no blood near Ren’s trailer.”
“Joe Carver was a Rogue, a banished Rogue. I bet he was considered a mercenary, and from what you found out about the male, he was a smart one. Ops. You said he worked Ops for his pack.”
I nodded, dropping my head to think about this and sort through the facts. It’s what I did, and now that I had a connection, it all started to fall into place for me. Joe Carver was here to…create chaos. From what little I learned about the male, he was a drifter and had no honor, but he wasn’t some dirty homeless shifter. He had money.
“So, if we think this is connected, and I’m starting to because I don’t believe in coincidences, then how did he end up dead?” I mused, my eyes narrowing when something else occurred to me.
That Rogue was killed about the same time Ren told me she’d heard the Sheppard brothers outside her trailer, trying to torment her. That meant they knew something, and as soon as the thought hit, I growled and turned to stare at them where they were standing around, talking.
“Caleb?”
I ignored Cole and stalked their way, and it was only after I slammed Josh into a tree and had him gasping that Cole caught up.
“You’re going to start talking right now, or the next thing I do is rip your throat out and chew on your windpipe. Are we clear?” I asked, my jaw so tight my bear growled when I felt a tooth crack. “Joe Carver.”
Just two words, a name, but I saw the minute Josh realized because he closed his eyes and slumped while his brothers all cursed.
“Caleb, let go,” Cole muttered, pulling me away so that Josh fell to the ground and gasped, his brothers glaring as they helped him up. “As for you, don’t think I’m holding him back. I’d like some answers before he does kill you fools.”
“Fuck.” Josh whispered, all four Sheppard brothers sharing a look before the oldest cursed and shook his head.