Chapter 39

Anthony's jaw tightened with disbelief as he pieced together the scene before him. The air on the balcony was thick with tension and the unmistakable trace of Noah’s unique scent. He scanned beneath the window, eyes narrowed at the unexpected sight—a stark evidence left behind, causing his thoughts to whirl with a mixture of confusion and frustration. Miles, sensing his turmoil through their mind-link, stepped out onto the balcony, concern etched across their features. Anthony turned, jaw clenched, struggling to find the right words.

“What is that?” asked Miles

“Noah's body fluid, it’s seemed that he been watching us from here,”

“Why would he do that? Wait there is a reason why I mind-link in the first place,”

“What is it?”

“Let get inside before I tell you,”

Anthony and Miles quietly came back inside the room and closed the balcony door before exiting the bedroom and heading downstairs, walking toward the office once they were inside Miles closed the door. Miles gives him the folder as Anthony opens to see the pictures of the crime scene.

“What happened?”

“It was the guard who just about the ground until he sees it, confirm that it was Betty and an unknown man. When the guard bring him to the scene, I was told that Noah didn’t care even kicked the head,”

“Where is Sarah?”

“She is on her way here. Why?”

“I don’t want Kathy to know that Noah was watching us having sex and was pleasure himself at the same time,”

A sudden creak at the office door cut through the tension. Kathy, wrapped in her worn-down clothes, stepped inside her eyes wide with the weight of everything she’d just overheard. Miles turned at the sound, his hand instinctively coming up to rub his forehead, searching for words and clarity that were as disheveled as the moment itself. For a heartbeat, the silence stretched—everyone unsure whether to speak or retreat—before Kathy’s presence drew a collective, uneasy breath from the room.

"Can someone please explain what's going on?"

You're informing me that Noah witnessed our sexual encounter and showed no concern for his deceased mate. Kathy said, "Noah is only interested in me, not his mate, and he's trying to get close to me by getting rid of Betty."

"I don't understand, Kathy," he said, his brow furrowed.

“It may only be theory, but it is possible that this is also true. Just listen… what if Betty was sleeping, this unknown man, and Noah found out about it, and killed them both?" Kathy said

“Wait, that's impossible, because Noah would feel the sharp sting of loss if he lost his mate,"

Miles stared at Kathy, his expression frozen, the words hanging in the air like a challenge to the very ground beneath them.

“Kathy, are you serious?” he asked quietly, his mind racing. “A hysterectomy? As a teenager?”

Anthony nodded, his voice barely above a whisper. “She told everyone she was pregnant, that’s why Noah had to pick her. But it was a lie. She couldn’t have children at all. She had the surgery when she was still a minor—her entire story was built on something impossible.”

Miles frowned, piecing the puzzle together. “So why go through the trouble? Was Betty trying to secure her place in the pack, or was someone putting her up to it?”

Kathy shook her head. “I don’t know, but one way or another, it means Noah’s mark on her was built on a lie. And if he found out… that could push anyone over the edge.”

A heavy silence settled over them, the implications twisting through the room like a cold draft. Miles looked at Kathy, then Anthony, and saw the same wary realization dawning in their eyes.

“Whatever happened,” Miles said grimly, “this wasn’t just about jealousy or betrayal. There’s more to this, and we need to figure it out before someone else gets hurt.”

Miles exchanged a wary glance with Anthony, the tension in the room thickening as Kathy's warning settled over them.

Anthony nodded, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. “You’re right, Kathy. We have to be careful. From now on, no one moves around here alone. We don’t know what Noah is thinking, or what he might do if he feels threatened.”

Kathy closed her eyes for a moment, gathering herself. “We keep everything between us. No hints, not in front of anyone. If we need to talk, we do it here, in private.” Her voice was low, fierce—a protective edge sharpening every word.

Miles took a steady breath. “I’ll see what I can dig up on Betty and her family, but I won’t leave a digital trail. Anthony, double-check the locks tonight. And if Noah comes around, play it cool. Act like nothing’s changed.”

Anthony nodded again. “Got it. I’ll keep an eye out. Let’s not give him any reason to suspect we know more than we do.”

Outside, a branch scraped against the window, a reminder of the world just beyond their fragile safety. Inside, the three of them drew closer together, united by caution, secrets, and the growing sense that the danger was already far too close.

A sudden, firm knock jolted the trio from their huddle of unease. Kathy paused, exchanged a look with the others, then strode quietly to the door. She unlatched it with caution, peering through the narrow gap before recognizing Sarah’s familiar face brimming with anxiety. Kathy ushered her inside swiftly, shutting out the night with a solid click of the lock.

They returned to the office, Sarah’s footsteps hurried and tense. Anthony and Miles straightened, their guarded expressions shifting as Sarah entered, her eyes searching their faces for some hint of reassurance.

Miles exchanged a look with Kathy and Anthony, then gestured for Sarah to sit. He spoke quietly, but his words carried the weight of everything they knew. He told her about Betty, about the suspicions curling like smoke through their little group, about Noah and the lies that threatened to shatter their precarious safety.

As the truth unfurled, Sarah’s expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, her eyes wide and lips parted in silent horror. She listened in stunned silence, barely breathing as each new piece found its place in the tangled puzzle. When Miles finished, the room was heavy again, the only sound the thrumming of their collective heartbeat.

Sarah looked at each of them in turn, her shock raw and unguarded. “You’re serious,” she whispered. “All this… it’s really happening?”

“Yes, but we must keep this a secret until we sort this out,”

Kathy blushed as her stomach growled, having skipped breakfast. Sarah smiled, pulling Miles closer and pointing at Kathy's neck. Just make a quick breakfast so everyone can eat. She wants a camera installed in case Noah tries to break in.

“Anthony was thinking, I want cameras in the house to catch Noah in the act or anyone else I know that Sarah will be with me all day until you come home but I feel safe if we have them,”

“Miles and I will put them up before heading into the pack house and handle some business with my father. We have to go to the town over, and won’t be home late,”

Kathy nodded and continued eating; it would be a long day, but Sarah would keep her busy.