Chapter 82

“If they were able to mask their scent, I bet they were able to get close enough to you to overhear your conversation with your friend,” I tell her. “I want to know what you talked to that man about.”

Leanna lets out a gust of air and begins to explain. Human police. Serial killers. Evidence lockers. Dead bodies.

By the time she’s done talking, the blood has drained from her face, and she whispers, her voice stricken, “This is all my fault. George said I could call him whenever I wanted to see the evidence. I thought I might find something. There must be something there that the shifters don’t want me to discover. That’s why they killed George. Without him, I don’t have access to that evidence.”

“These people definitely have some interest in you. The only way they would’ve found out about your conversation with George is if they’ve been tailing you for a while. That means you and Finn are not safe. They haven’t given up on you. You’re not safe in your home, Leanna.” Fury fills me. I can’t protect her if I don’t know where the threat is coming from. Her house is directly across from a park that a lot of people visit. They could have been watching her for days, and I was none the wiser. “You can’t stay there. And if you think you can convince me otherwise, think of Finn.”

Leanna gives me a serious look. “I would never gamble with Finn’s safety. You’re right, there is a possibility that my home has been compromised. But I also need to conduct this investigation, Cedric. That means I can’t go into hiding. I have to be out in the streets. I have to go places.”

“You will not go alone.”

She doesn’t argue with me, but I can tell that she’s thinking. “I have another solution.” I wait, and she takes her time before finally saying, “What if Harriet looks after Finn, and the two of them stay in the palace? Neither of them leaves those secure grounds. That way, Finn will be safe.”

The royal palace is indeed the safest place for him, but what about Leanna? “You expect me to let you roam around while there is a possible threat to your life?”

My lips curl in a snarl, and Leanna gives me a sharp smile, her eyes angry. “No. I won’t be alone. You and I will stay at my house.”

“What?”

“These people are watching me, right? Let’s get them to think that we’re getting closer to the truth. When they begin to panic, they’re going to make mistakes.”

“No,” I refuse, immediately realizing her intention. “You are not using yourself as bait.”

“They killed my friend, Cedric,” Leanna hisses. “A man who did not deserve to die. His wife is a homemaker. They have two boys in school. Their entire lives are about to fall apart. The man she loved is gone. Her sons have lost their father. She will now be living on a small widower’s pension. She has to raise two boys by herself. How is she supposed to do that? How is she supposed to work multiple jobs to pay off the mortgage on their house and cover her children’s expenses? How is she going to help them grieve their father? All of this is because I knew her husband had the means to get us closer to these individuals, and I asked him for a favor.”

There is a sheen of tears in her eyes.

I have watched many of my men fall, their families shattered as a result. A part of me has grown numb to it all. You can’t feel every death, every loss. It has the ability to drive one insane.

I can see my mate unravelling, and I take her in my arms, offering comfort. “Leanna, I can’t help with this grief. It is your own to bear. But it is misplaced. Nothing that happened was your fault. You couldn’t have anticipated any of this. However, I can help with one thing. Monetary help for your friend’s family. If you wish, I can set them up for life. They will never want for anything.”

Leanna pulls away and stares at me. “You would do that?”

I nod. “You are forgetting your status. You are the queen of the Northern Kingdom, Leanna. We have an abundant amount of wealth. You can do what you will with it. If it can help assuage some of this misplaced guilt of yours, I want you to help them.”

She lets out a shaky breath. “It won’t get rid of the guilt, but it will make me feel better. Thank you, Cedric.”

She gets on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to my lips.

It’s a chaste kiss but one that is more precious than anything. My ears feel hot, and I stare at her. I want to take her in my arms and continue. All the desires I’ve been trying to keep suppressed inside me want out. I have missed the taste of her lips, of her skin, the sounds she makes when under me. It’s been difficult to restrain myself, but I’ve had to.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Leanna asks. Her cheeks are flushed, but she looks happy. Just because I offered to use my wealth to help her friend’s family?

I can give her even more than that if she wants to support them. As long as she smiles at me like this, I will empty the kingdom’s treasury for her.

I have to tear my gaze away from my mate because this is not the time. “We have to go talk to Erik. And we should move Finn right away. I would prefer to hide him in the North, but I have yet to deal with the elders and our enemies over there. Erik’s palace is the only option we have at the moment.”

Leanna agrees and then glances at me, giving me a strained smile. “If Finn stays at the palace, I’ll have to be away from him. I don’t recall a time I wasn’t with him for even one night.”

I sense her uneasiness. “He will be fine. He’ll be in good hands. And we can see him every day if you need to. But for now, we have to secure his safety.”

She nods with a heavy sigh. “You’re right. Of course you’re right.”

Leanna has no choice but to tell Erik the truth about George. Needless to say, he’s not pleased, but he cannot deny that the deputy commissioner was a useful ally. He also promises to grant further financial aid to his widow and sons.

“We’ll pay off the mortgage on their house and transfer title to the widow’s name. I’ll also make sure she is set up with a generous monthly stipend.” Erik leans back in his chair, frowning. “But down to the matter at hand. If these people are following you, that means they want you for some reason.”

“Maybe it was a coincidence.” Cassian pipes up. We had to involve him in this meeting because he’s the face of the task force. When I glare at him, he shrinks in his seat. “Or maybe I’m wrong.”