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“How is Blair?” asked Mitch.
“Fine.” Albeit frustrated that her stalker remained unidentified and uncaught.
“She hasn’t called in a few days.”
“There hasn’t been anything new to report.” Nothing more had happened since the hit and run.
“Embry mentioned that you spoke to Gabriel again to try to rattle his cage.”
Luke wouldn’t have told the Alpha at all if Embry hadn’t contacted him to ask about it. It seemed that Embry had assigned people to watch Gabriel’s complex, and they’d reported that Luke paid Gabriel a second visit.
Initially, Luke had considered telling the Alpha what he’d learned of Gabriel from River. But Luke worried that Embry—so desperate to believe his own pack mates weren’t at fault—would then insist on believing that the guilt lay with Gabriel. After all, he’d thrown accusations at Gabriel’s door without full proof of guilt once before, hadn’t he? As such, Luke had merely claimed that he’d had another chat with Gabriel in the hope of somehow tripping him up.
“He also thinks that maybe there was a little more to it than that you wanted to simply rattle Gabriel’s cage,” said Mitch. “Embry suspects that you have info you’re not passing on.”
The Alpha hadn’t said as much to Luke. “If that were the case, he wouldn’t be in a position to judge.”
“What does that mean?”
Luke couldn’t exactly share what he’d discovered about Donal and Antoine. Not that he believed Mitch would break his confidence. It simply wouldn’t be fair to expect Mitch to keep secrets from his own Alpha. So, Luke simply replied, “Surely you haven’t forgotten that when Blair was part of your pack he kept from me everything that recently happened to and around her.”
A heavy exhale. “He shouldn’t have done that, I know. But if he’d thought she was in true danger back then, he would have contacted you.”
Frowning at the sight of Blair’s female balancing on her front paws as she once more moved past the doorway, Luke said, “I’m not so sure of that. It was made obvious by Macy’s death that the person who’s obsessed with Blair is dangerous. Nonetheless, Embry asked her not to tell me anything.”
“You think Embry’s covering up for someone?”
“Not necessarily.” Luke doubted that, being her uncle, the Alpha would do such a thing. “I’m just not convinced that he’s keeping me fully in the loop. I find it incredibly difficult to believe that he doesn’t have at least one suspect. He questioned every member of your pack. He investigated the matter thoroughly—or so he claims, just as he claims he’s making impartial judgements. If the latter were true, there’d be at least one or two people he’d be keeping his eye on. And if that is the case, it’s not something he’s bothered to share with me or Blair.”
“On the one hand, I agree that he should suspect someone. But to be fair, I don’t have a single suspect. There’s no one who’s ever come across as obsessed with Blair.”
“But they wouldn’t, would they? You’re expecting this person to stand out somehow as ‘creepy.’ People like that rarely do, Mitch. On the contrary, they often seem personable, helpful, and even charming. They often also exhibit obsessive tendencies, so watch out for that.”
Luke paused as his bush dog once more came into view—this time wrestling frantically with a plastic shopping bag, unable to get away from it since she’d somehow managed to hook one of its handles around her neck. He swore. “I have to go if I’m to save Blair’s female from herself.”
Mitch snorted. “Well good luck with that. Tell Blair I said hi and to call me when she can.”
“Will do.” Luke rang off and crossed to the bush dog. “You’re worse than any pup, you know that?” Ignoring her little growl, he freed her from the shopping bag. “Blair, I need you to shift back before she starts trying to—”
There was a brisk knock on the front door.
The bush dog yipped and then pounced on the rug yet again.
Great. Really.
Leaving the nutcase to her own devices, Luke crossed to the front door and pulled it open. He raised his brows in greeting at the male cat standing on the other side of it. “Evander. How’re you doing?”
“Fine,” replied the male who worked in the pride’s barbershop with his father and also Luke’s cousin, Mila. “My dad wanted me to stop by and give you a brief message. You know how much he hates using a phone.”
Luke snickered. “I do.”
Partway through delivering said message, Evander paused as a loud feminine laugh floated along the hall.
Luke’s eyes darted toward the sound. Two female pallas cats stood near the stairwell, their backs to him.
“I have to go, I’m meeting with Finley,” said Posy, who happened to be the female enforcer’s younger sister.
“How’s she holding up?” asked Posy’s friend, Kalia. “It has to be hard for her that she can’t be Beta female—it was always her dream. I feel bad for her.”
