“Fluke maybe.” Gideon shakes his head, and I almost wish Olivia hadn’t thrown a spanner in the works. For his sake. “Maybe she did just have a regular virus. Or maybe the killer got sloppy.”
“That’s too many maybes.” Julian stares at the images. “We need to know what we’re up against here.”
"I understand." Gideon gestures to the evidence spread across the table. "I’m struggling to access current student records. My contacts are getting itchy about helping me. But you can. You're enrolled here, you have ID access, you can ask questions without raising suspicion."
"You wantusto continue what you started," Julian clarifies.
"I want us to work together." Gideon pulls out a laptop, opens files. "I have eighteen months of research. Victim profiles, timeline analysis, potential suspects. But I need someone on the inside."
"And if we find the suspect?" Tyler asks. "Then what?"
"Then we make sure they can't hurt anyone else." Gideon'sexpression is granite. "We need concrete evidence to take to the police." He pauses. "Or we take them down ourselves."
“Whoa.” Calder raises both hands in a gesture of peace. “This is not some vigilante group.”
“Calder is right,” Tyler says. “We’re not putting Elowen in danger.”
Gideon’s eyes twitch. “She already is in danger. If you can’t see that, then you’re no help to me.”
"What do you need from us?" I ask. I can’t sit back and do nothing if there’s a possibility another omega will die. If there’s a possibilityIwill die.
Gideon's shoulders drop a little. "Access to omega health records. Heat schedules for the past two years. List of faculty and staff who had access to all four victims." He types rapidly. "I'll cross-reference with my data. Look for overlaps."
"That's confidential information," Julian points out. "We'd have to go through official channels or?—"
"Or find another way," Gideon finishes. "I'm not asking you to break laws. But I am asking you to bend the rules if it means stopping a killer."
Calder and Julian exchange looks. Some wordless alpha communication I'm not part of.
"We'll help," Calder says finally. "But we do this carefully. No unnecessary risks."
"Agreed."
"And Elowen stays protected," Tyler adds firmly. "She doesn’t go anywherealone."
"That was already non-negotiable," Gideon says. "Iris was alone when…" He pauses, his breathing erratic. "Don't let her be alone."
The vulnerability in that statement, the way grief cracks through his controlled exterior, drives his loss home like a blade through the heart. A twin who lost his other half.
"I'm sorry," I tell him. "About Iris."
His eyes shine but he doesn't look away. "Then help me make sure her death meant something. Help me stop this before they kill someone else's sister."
"We will," I promise.
He nods once, then starts organizing files with renewed purpose. "First step: I need to know everyone you saw during heat. Staff, faculty, anyone who knew you were in the heat suite."
My face glows as I think back to my heat and time spent with my pack. "Campus medical approved the heat leave paperwork. Ms. Hartley arranged the suite. No one came to check on me."
“That’s not true,” Julian interjects. "Security stopped by once. Said it was a routine wellness check."
Everyone in the room goes still. My pulse is racing.
"Who was it?" Calder's voice is dangerous.
"Officer Brennan. He was professional about it. Asked if we needed anything. Didn’t try to peer inside the room. Left when I said we were fine."
Gideon's typing furiously. "Kyle Brennan.Campus security, five years. Prior military, honorable discharge." He pulls up a photo. "This him?"
