AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jagger looks up, his features darkening. “Chord, I fucking told you—” He stops short as Sierra pulls up beside me. “Shit,” he mutters.
“I’m guessing you know why we’re here, Jagger.” She folds her arms. Jagger’s eyes drop to her cleavage briefly before snapping back up.
“Cedara.” He huffs out a breath. “This isn’t something you can get involved in, my love.” His voice is gentle.
“I think it is. She’s my cousin. And what you’re doing is wrong.”
“It’s not wrong. Sometimes, I have to make hard calls for the sake of the pack.”
“Well, this time, you’re doing the wrong thing. You have to let her go.” Sierra stands firm. “Barrett has something to tell you. I want you to listen to what he has to say.”
“Fine.” He exhales the word. “Spit it out.” He looks at me.
I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before addressing Jagger. This is my chance to convince him, to get Cedara freed.
“Listen, Jagger. I know this whole situation has been a mess, but it’s not what it looks like.”
“You mean the fact that she was covered in blood after there was an animal attack outside,” he says drily.
I glance at Sierra. She’s nodding encouragingly. “It wasn’t human,” I say bluntly. I pause, letting that sink in. Jagger’s brow furrows, but he doesn’t interrupt.
“When I took a closer look, something didn’t seem right. I showed it to Dr. Bea, and she confirmed it – that blood on the sheets isn’t human. It’s from a wolf.”
Jagger leans back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the desk. “You’re sure about this?”
“Positive. Dr. Bea can back it up. She’s running tests.”
Edirn steps forward. “There’s more. Barrett and I went to investigate the crime scene from last night. We found signs of a struggle, along with more blood. I recognized the scent – it was a wolf from Leadmills.”
Jagger’s eyes narrow, but I can see the cogs turning in his head. I press on.
“Our theory is that Cedara went out last night; while she was out, she must have stumbled across a Leadmills wolf attacking someone. She intervened to protect the human, fought off the wolf, and injured him. That’s where the blood trail leads – back toward Leadmills territory.”
I take another breath, steadying myself. “And that’s not all. I spoke to Cedara after Dr. Bea gave her another dose of the antidote. She’s starting to remember what happened. Her recollection matches up with our theory.”
Sierra steps up beside me. “You know how devoted Barrett is to Cedara. To his mate. Just like you’d do anything for me.” She reaches out, placing her hand on Jagger’s arm. “But he’s not letting that cloud his judgment here. The facts back up what he’s saying.”
Jagger is silent for a long moment, weighing everything. Finally, he lets out a slow exhale. “Say I believe you…” He levels his gaze at me. “Why the hell was Cedara out wandering around in the first place?”
“She told me she needed to find a place surrounded by moonlight. To…speak to Mother Moon.” I can’t help the faint smile that touches my lips, thinking of Cedara’s wolf tendencies.
Sybil speaks up then, her voice thick with emotion. “That’s just like her. Ever since she was a little girl, Cedara would wander out at night sometimes. To talk to the moon. It’s…it’s just something she’s always done.”
Jagger shakes his head, but I can see his resolve weakening. “I still don’t understand why she felt the need—”
“She was celebrating,” I interject, realization dawning. “We’d sealed our mate bond. She wanted to honor it, to sing to Mother Moon in celebration.” I meet Jagger’s gaze steadily. “It’s what any wolf would do. And hers is strong right now – after what happened at the sanctuary, her wolf has been close to the surface.”
A heavy silence falls over the room.
Jagger studies me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. He heaves out a breath. “Alright, Chord. You’ve made your case.” He rises from his chair. “I’ll have her released from the cells.”
Relief almost overwhelms me, and I catch Sierra’s brilliant smile out of the corner of my eye. But Jagger’s next words stop me short.
“Unfortunately, it will have to wait, though.” He holds up a hand to halt our protests. “The police commissioner is here, being given the full tour by Raura.”
“The full tour?” Sybil looks confused.
“It’s what we do when humans show an interest in Steel Lakes,” Jagger explains. “On the surface, this place is supposed to be an artist commune. A place for creative folk to find inspiration.”
