Chapter 30

Adam.

Adam smiled as he waved goodbye to Aaron and Emme. They had had a blast today and he felt he was really connecting with them. As the door shut, Adam turned around and headed over to Preston's house. Preston had mind linked him earlier saying he had news to discuss. But Adam hadn't wanted to interrupt his day with the twins, so he told Preston he would be by later in the afternoon.

As he walked along the newly paved road, the heat from the sun causing the blacktop to become steaming hot, he wondered what could have his best friend concerned. He knew it couldn't be Ella because Preston would have mentioned something. So what else could it be?

Adam rapped his knuckles on the door. He heard a shout from inside, "Come in!"

Turning the knob, Adam opened the door, the hinges giving a short squeak. "You should really grease those hinges," Adam called out, shutting the door behind him with a click.

Preston came into the room, wiping his hands on a towel. After his hands were all dry, he threw the towel on the couch, and sat down on the chair next to it, spreading his arms out across the frame and leaning back. "Please, sit, Alpha," Preston suggested.

Adam moved the discarded towel to the ground as he sat on the couch. "You seemed a bit worried earlier," Adam said. "What's going on?"

"Today Ella met with the lone wolf, Cassius, for mini golf."

"So?" Adam asked, wondering where this was going.

"Not only did I overhear that Ella isn't sure about staying, but Cassius was asking her questions about the pack and its security."

Adam lifted a curious eyebrow, but said nothing as he waited for Preston to continue.

"I wouldn't have thought anything of it after his first comment, but he started asking about the pack's size and strength. When Ella told him about the poisonings, he looked surprised, but something was off. As if he had already known how many there had been."

Adam's jaw clenched and a scowl formed on his face as he took in the information. "I want to keep a closer eye on the lone wolf. I had a feeling from the start that he was trouble."

Preston nodded in agreement. "Do you want me to investigate him?" Preston asked, leaning forward and clasping his hand together in his lap.

Adam shook his head. "No. I want you to stick with Ella. She doesn't understand the danger she's putting herself in by seeing Cassius. I'm going to have to play this delicately so Ella doesn't get the wrong idea."

Adam sat back against the couch as he pondered what the best course of action would be.

"You could send Joe," Preston suggested after a minute's pause.

"No," Adam replied. "He and Lily just had a pup. I want him to be there for his family."

Preston nodded. Both their eyes looked off into the distance, not really seeing, as they thought about who would be best to keep tabs on Cassius.

"I think I'll assign Rob to this case," Adam finally said. "He's good at being discreet while gathering intel."

He nodded to himself, confirming his idea. Adam stood up to leave.

"I'll go talk to him now before it gets too late."

"Goodnight," Preston called out to Adam as he walked through the front door.

"Night," Adam called over his shoulder, shutting the door behind him.

As Adam meandered across the grass toward Rob's place, he heard a yelp. He turned to his left towards the noise. It came from the Eastern border of pack lands. As another pain-filled yelp ripped through the air, Adam began running. He whipped past houses and up the hill leading to the line of trees marking the edge of the woods.

"What happened?" Adam asked as he neared two wolves lay on the ground, bloody and beaten, while a third stood over them in human form, a phone to his ear as he called for hospital assistance.

The bodies were caked in so much blood and bruising that it was hard to recognize them at a glance.

"Alpha," the man greeted Adam, slightly panicked, his voice taking on a higher pitch than normal and his eyes wide with fear. "We were attacked."

"I can see that, Jeffrey," Adam replied. "How did this happen?"

"I didn't see everything," Jeffery responded, "but I did see a large wolf bound away as you and I arrived. He must have smelled you coming and ran off. I got here just before you did."

Adam knelt next to the wolf closest to him, inspecting the injuries. The wolf had cuts and bruises everywhere. It was a surprise he hadn't bled out yet. Adam took off his shirt and pressed it to the wolf's side, placing pressure on the largest gash.

"Go check the other wolf and report back to me," Adam commanded Jeffrey. "If he's still alive, do whatever you can to keep him that way."

"Yes, Alpha."

Jeffrey ran over to the other victim, checking for a pulse and breathing. "Bad news, Alpha. Drew is dead," Jeffrey called over, shaking his head in disbelief.

Adam's head shot up at the news. "Are you sure it's Drew?"

"Positive."

Drew was one of their best fighters. Only something powerful could have struck him down. And he would have put up a good fight, assuming he wasn't caught by surprise. One thing bothered Adam even more, though—if Drew had put up a fight, the other wolf wouldn't have run away, he would have been limping.

Interrupting Adam's thoughts, a paramedic ran over, bowing his head before taking over.

"I want to know the minute he's awake and coherent," Adam told the paramedic.

"Yes, Alpha," he replied as he bandaged the wolf.

"Help me get him on the gurney," the paramedic told his companion.

She rushed over, assessing the scene. "What about the other one?"

"He's dead," Adam replied bitterly.

Nodding, the other paramedic squatted down to help lift the wolf. They rolled him away once he had been secured, rushing back to the hospital. Adam watched as the battered wolf was taken away, wondering who could possibly be strong enough to overpower both border patrol guards.