Chapter 26 Investigation
Zarek POV
The racing field was already busy by the time I arrived.
Engines roared across the lower tracks while wolves moved through equipment checks near the garages.
Usually this place grounded me.
Today it didn’t.
The silver wound beneath my ribs still burned despite healing halfway. Wolfsbane lingered stubbornly in my bloodstream like poison soaked directly into bone.
Kairo hated it.
I stood near the elevated platform overlooking the tracks while scanning the movement below carefully.
Patrol wolves rotated near the eastern fence while race coordinators moved between checkpoints carrying maps and radios.
“You’re supposed to be resting.”
Brennan’s voice came from behind me. I didn’t turn immediately.
The tension between us settled instantly the moment he stepped beside me.
“You’re supposed to stop making terrible decisions,” I replied flatly.
“That would require you cooperating.”
I finally looked at him.
Brennan looked exhausted. Dark circles sat faintly beneath his eyes like he hadn’t slept properly in days.
His gaze shifted briefly toward my side. “The wound reopened?”
“Partially.”
His jaw tightened slightly. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“And yet here I am.”
Below us, one of the race vehicles sped violently around the track before skidding too close to the barriers.
Kairo stirred irritably.
Brennan leaned against the railing beside me.
For several seconds neither of us spoke.
Then I finally asked the question in my mind, “Did you find anything?”
Brennan shook his head. “No useful scent trails.”
That annoyed me immediately. The attackers yesterday had moved too cleanly.
“They knew the route,” I sighed deeply.
“Yes.”
“They knew where patrols would rotate.” I couldn’t comprehend what was going on.
“Yes.”
My eyes slowly shifted toward him.
Brennan noticed. His expression hardened instantly. “Don’t.”
“You conveniently separated from me right before the attack.”
His voice lowered dangerously. “You think I led them to you?”
“I think somebody did.”
For one long second, silence stretched heavily between us. The sounds of engines below suddenly felt far away.
Brennan stared directly at me now. “If I wanted you dead,” he said quietly, “I wouldn’t need an ambush.”
I ignored his speech. “You disappeared too long,” I continued colder now.
“I was checking the northern route.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
“That was stupid.” I voiced out.
“So was walking directly into a trap.”
My hand clenched into a fist instantly.
Brennan exhaled slowly through his nose before rubbing tiredly at his temple. “We don’t have time for this right now.”
“No,” I corrected quietly. “That’s exactly why we need time for this.”
His eyes met mine again. “You don’t trust me anymore,” he muttered.
I almost laughed.
“Should I?”
Something flickered across his face then. Guilt maybe. Or anger.
Possibly both.
Below us, wolves shouted near the garages as another racer arrived.
Neither of us looked away from each other.
Finally Brennan spoke again. “You think I’d betray the pack?”
“I think,” I said slowly, “you will do anything for this pack, irrespective of the consequences. And maybe now, you have started deciding things for everyone else.”
That hit exactly where I intended.
His expression hardened immediately. “Everything I’ve done was to protect this pack.”
“There it is.” I smiled coldly. “That self-righteous bullshit you hide behind.”
His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Careful.”
“No,” I stepped closer now. “You should be careful.”
The air around us shifted instantly.
Nearby wolves subtly started moving away without looking obvious about it.
“You don’t get to threaten people behind my back,” I continued lower now. “You don’t get to manipulate situations because you think you know better than me.”
Brennan’s jaw flexed hard.
“And you don’t get to choose whether to die while this entire territory burns around us,” he fired back immediately.
That did it.
The wooden railing cracked sharply beneath my grip.
Several wolves below instantly looked upward nervously.
Brennan didn’t move.
“No,” I snapped. “The problem is somebody inside this territory handed silver and wolfsbane to trained attackers.”
Brennan’s eyes twitched. “Are you accusing me directly now?”
I stepped closer until barely a foot separated us. “I’m saying,” I dropped my words slowly, “if I discover you lied to me…”
Kairo’s energy rolled violently beneath my skin. “…there won’t be enough left of you to bury.”
Brennan stared at me for several long seconds. Then unexpectedly, he laughed once.
“You still don’t see it,” he muttered quietly.
“See what?”
His eyes carried an emotion I couldn’t pinpoint. “I’m trying to save you.”
“I don’t need saving.”
“That’s exactly the problem.” He fired back angrily. “Yes, I asked for silver and wolfbane but you won’t understand.”
I staggered a bit backwards. “So you want me to believe you just felt like bringing in silver and wolfbane which was banned from this pack and it had nothing to do with using it on me.” My tone was more like a whisper.
“Yes, I requested it, but I never planned on using it on you. The person I made the request to got killed, someone knew my plan.” He explained, his eyes not leaving mine. “That was why I went through that route, the person was supposed to be there but I found no one, I was trying to track down a suspicion I was having.”
I ran my hand through my hair. “Yet you couldn’t confide in me. If truly you wanted to lead the person to yourself, why did you request that I come and why silver?” I still felt confused.
“Because I didn’t know who the intruder was and he needed to believe that you were going. I made a deal to bring you, I did it to help this pack. And silver because that was what I was investigating.”
Before I could answer, movement below caught both our attention.
Kieran.
He was crossing the lower track area quickly toward us with an expression that instantly killed whatever remained of the conversation.
Something happened.
And judging by Brennan’s face…He knew it too.
He moved through the crowded race field quickly, dodging between mechanics and patrol wolves while several racers turned to stare at him.
Brennan straightened beside me instantly. “What happened?”
Kieran finally reached the platform, slightly out of breath. His eyes flicked between both of us carefully before settling on me.
“We found another body.”
Something inside me turned sharp immediately.
“Where?” I asked flatly.
“Near the northern checkpoint.” Kieran’s voice lowered slightly. “One of the patrol wolves.”
Brennan swore quietly under his breath.
Another attack inside our territory.
Again.
“How long ago?” I demanded.
“Maybe thirty minutes.” Kieran glanced toward the lower compound. “The patrol team found him hidden near the forest line.”
My jaw tightened painfully. “Cause of death?”
Kieran hesitated slightly.
That hesitation alone already pissed me off.
“Kieran.”
His eyes met mine carefully. “Silver.”
The word landed like gasoline on fire.
Silver inside pack territory meant one thing, somebody was supplying it.
Brennan’s expression became unreadable beside me. “Was wolfsbane used too?”
Kieran nodded slowly.
My clams dug into my palm until blood slid between my fingers.