We came home quickly from the treehouse with the new items in hand. Ethan was careful to screw back the panel as if nothing had ever disturbed its slumber. When we got back he immediately drug me to a small closet under the stairs and showed me a safe where he kept things like his birth certificate, passports, a watch that used to be his fathers, some other family heirlooms, and a couple grand in cash in case 'We have to ever get the hell out of here sunshine.' The box was locked safely there, away from prying eyes who would try to use them to harm us. Frame us. Frame Ethan. My beast stalked back and forth inwardly, she wanted to eliminate this threat. She wanted their throats for ever even having such a thought about our mate. I did too and I knew that good things would come to the wolves that bunkered down and waited. Ethan was laying with his head in my lap after we had a long shower. His beast was calm, well, calmer. I ran my fingers through his hair while he traced the small lines on my legs, drawing patterns of nothing but soothing the agony that still ate away at me. "Want to link him?" Ethan asked. I nodded. "I'll do it." I leaned black and closed my eyes so I could find the bond, the rope of steel, that connected Levi and I. My father. "Levi?" I felt him stir before a familiar presence filled my brain. "Charlie girl, everything alright?" I sighed a little. "Yes, no, hold on I'm pulling Ethan in." Ethan was easy to find in my brain, he would always be easy to find. Even with everything that had been dumped on us, he still burned like a white hot fire, constantly simmering over our bond. I pulled him as he kissed the back of my hand and began to play with my fingers. Levi stirred a some more before I could feel him settle. "Well you two, tell me what this pow wow is about?" "We went looking for evidence tonight Levi," Ethan stated with a tone laced in somberness. "We went to my old house then the treehouse." "And?" "The old house was like it was last time I saw it, burnt down, but I did notice a shit load of those rocks scattered around it." Levi rumbled then let out a stressed breath. "Those damn things are like herpes, I feel like we can't get rid of them." I felt a smile tug at my lips while Ethan rolled his eyes. "There's more Levi," I added gently. "Tell me girl," he replied. "We went to the treehouse tonight and at first we didn't find anything," Ethan said as he linked our fingers together. "Char made me list out the repairs though and somehow I thought about the little cubby where Eli used to stash beer–" "You mean that false wall?" Levi asked. Ethan raised his brows. "You knew about that?" Levi chuckled darkly. "Oh ya, Chris I knew about your poor taste in beer." Ethan pushed back a growl before letting out a hot breath. "Anyways I pulled the wall out and found something. Actually Levi, where are you?" "At Lander's, we're up late getting some work done and having a drink or five," he replied a little incredulously. "Is Lander close?" I asked. "I'm looking at his shining pain in the ass face right now," Levi grumbled. Ethan mused for a bit and sighed. "Inside the box there were things, things that could look incriminating, could incriminate me. I think Thomas was using them as insurance to frame me for it in case I were to challenge him or post some kind of threat to him." "What? The hell you talking about Ethan?" Levi rushed out as his anger began to filter slowly into the link. "There were those black rocks, well just one that's now grayed, a piece of paper with a brand I've never seen before on it–I'll have Char take a picture and text it to you, a photo of all of the Christmas the year before with our faces x'ed out–" Levi growled viscously over the link. "What?" he hissed. Ethan sighed some more. I started to play with his hair again as my beast stirred, so much anger only fed her growing appetite for vengeance that was borderline unhealthy. "There were these letters, again, I'll have Char text photos to you. Anyways there was no name, nothing to connect anyone, just messages that said things like 'It's done, hold up your end of the deal.' There was actually one that sounded a lot like what that rogue told Thomas before he knocked his ass out. "But the worst of it was the knife. That knife Levi. It was wrapped up and in the box, still covered in blood–" A roar startled both of us. The anger was coming in like waves now as Levi seemed to be spewing like a damn volcano. We felt something pop into our link, something much like Levi, Lander. "Give me a few minutes with him," Lander replied tiredly. I let out a tired breath as Ethan rubbed his eyes. "You ok?" he asked. I nodded. "You?" He shrugged then nodded. "Somedays I think Lander is a damn saint."