Chapter 149
Asher
The interrogation room was a study in calculated intimidation—harsh fluorescent lighting that cast no shadows, concrete walls painted a cold institutional gray, a metal table bolted to the floor with two chairs on either side. One wall was entirely mirrored glass, behind which Blake, Cole, and I stood in the observation room, watching as Ethan Drake settled into the interviewer's chair with the casual confidence of someone who'd done this hundreds of times.
The air on our side of the glass was thick enough to choke on. Blake's gunpowder scent had taken on a caustic, almost sulfuric edge, his fists clenching and unclenching in a rhythm that matched his racing heartbeat. Cole stood perfectly still beside me, but I could feel the tremor running through our bond, the way hismint kept spiking with barely controlled anxiety. My own black ebony had gone so dark and bitter that even I could taste it on the back of my tongue, like burnt coffee and old rage.
The door opened, and Crystal Vance entered, escorted by two of our most trusted warriors. She'd clearly been roused from sleep—her wine-red hair was slightly disheveled rather than perfectly styled, and while she'd managed to throw on a black pantsuit, her makeup was minimal by her standards. But her posture was defiant, shoulders back, chin raised, green eyes flashing with a mix of indignation and barely concealed fear.
She knew why she was here. Everyone in the pack knew by now that our mate was missing, that we were tearing apart the territory looking for answers.
"Ms. Vance," Drake gestured to the chair across from him, his voice professionally neutral. "Please, sit."
Crystal remained standing for a beat too long, a small power play that made Blake's growl rumble through the observation room. Then she lowered herself into the chair with exaggerated grace, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap like she was at a business meeting rather than an interrogation.
"I assume this is about the Sterling girl's... disappearance," she said, her tone managing to convey both concern and disdain in equal measure. She'd never been able to bring herself to use Kara's name, I realized. Always 'the girl' or 'that debt slave' or, when she was feeling particularly venomous, 'Charity case.'
"Kara Sterling," Drake corrected, his gray eyes sharp. "Your future Luna. And yes, this is about her abduction from pack territory approximately twelve hours ago."
Crystal's scent shifted—just a flicker, a sour note of something that could've been genuine surprise or excellent acting. "Abduction? I thought she'd simply... run off. Everyone knows she was never comfortable here."
"Everyone knows," Blake repeated in a deadly quiet voice, his eyes flashing gold behind the glass. "Everyone knows we made her life hell. Everyone knows we gave her every reason to run. Everyone fucking knows, and they all stood by and watched."
I placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing hard enough to remind him to stay in control, even as my own wolf snarled in agreement. Through our bond, I felt Cole'smint wrap around both of us, trying to soothe, trying to keep us functional.
On the other side of the glass, Drake leaned forward slightly. "Let's establish a timeline. In the seventy-two hours prior to Miss Sterling's disappearance, did you have any contact with her? Any interaction, direct or indirect?"
Crystal's perfectly manicured fingers tapped against the table—once, twice. A tell. "I saw her at the pack gathering three days ago. She was with those... friends of hers." The word 'friends' dripped with contempt. "Sophia and Emma. I was overseeing the setup for the winter solstice celebration. We didn't speak."
"But you were in the same room."
"The same building. It's a large venue."
Drake made a note on his tablet. "And you didn't approach her, didn't attempt conversation?"
"Why would I?" Crystal's smile was brittle. "We don't exactly travel in the same social circles. She's..." She paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. "She's the Alphas' chosen mate. I'm simply an event coordinator. There's nothing for us to discuss."
"How do you feel," Drake asked, his tone conversational, "about the Alphas' choice of mate?"
Crystal's scent soured further, rose mixing with something acidic and bitter. Her jaw tightened. "My feelings are irrelevant. The Alphas have made their choice, and as a member of this pack, I respect their decision."
"That's not what I asked."
The silence stretched. Crystal's fingers resumed their tapping, faster now. "She's... very fortunate," she finally said, the words clearly costing her. "To have won their affection."
"Won," Blake repeated, his voice vibrating with barely leashed fury. "Like it was a fucking competition she cheated at."
Drake continued as if he hadn't noticed the tension crackling through Crystal's frame. "Let me be direct, Ms. Vance. Your scent is telling me things your words aren't. You're jealous. You're angry. You feel that Kara Sterling doesn't deserve her position."
Crystal's composure cracked, just for a second. Her eyes flashed, her lip curled. "She's a debt slave. The daughter of addicts and gamblers. She's spent the last ten years scrubbing floors and washing dishes. And now she's going to be Luna? She has no training, no pedigree, no—"
"Enough." Drake's voice cut through her building rant like a blade. "I don't need your opinion on her qualifications. What I need to know is this: did you or did you not provide information about Kara Sterling's location, habits, or the pack's security measures to anyone outside this territory?"
The question landed like a physical blow. Crystal recoiled, her eyes going wide. "What? No! I would never—I may not like the girl, but I wouldn't betray the pack. I wouldn't—"
"Two weeks ago," Drake interrupted, consulting his tablet, "you were seen talking to an unknown male near the northern border of pack lands. Large build, dark hair, heavy accent. Eastern European, possibly Russian. Care to explain that encounter?"
The color drained from Crystal's face. Behind the glass, all three of us went rigid.
"I..." Crystal's hands trembled before she clasped them together. "I don't... there was a man. I was checking the perimeter for the solstice setup, making sure the lighting crews hadn't left equipment lying around. He was just... there. At the edge of the tree line."
"And you didn't report an unknown male on pack territory?" Drake's voice remained level, but there was steel underneath.
"I thought he was a lone wolf! Someone passing through. He asked for directions to the main road, and I pointed him the right way. That was it. I didn't think..." She swallowed hard. "I didn't think it was important."
"Describe him."
"Tall. Very tall, maybe six-three, six-four. Broad shoulders. Dark hair cut short. He was wearing a black tactical jacket. And his accent—yes, it was Russian or something similar. He smelled..." She hesitated. "He smelled like old tobacco and metal. Not a pleasant scent."
Old tobacco and metal. The same scent profile we'd picked up from the tactical cloth left on the roof. My vision started to narrow, red creeping in at the edges.
"Did he ask about anything specific?" Drake pressed. "The pack structure, the Alphas, any particular pack members?"
Crystal shook her head frantically. "No, I swear. Just directions. He was very polite, actually, said he was lost and needed to get back to the highway. I pointed him toward Old Mill Road and he left. That was it. I swear on the Moon, that was the entire interaction."
"And it didn't occur to you," Drake said, his tone turning cold, "that an unknown male lurking at our border, asking questions, might be worth reporting to your Alphas or pack security?"
Tears started to form in Crystal's eyes, and her scent shifted to something that smelled like genuine fear. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just thought... I've seen lone wolves before. They're usually harmless. I didn't think—"
"You didn't think," Drake finished. "And your negligence may have cost your future Luna her freedom. Possibly her life."
The words hit like a hammer. Crystal made a choked sound, her hands flying to her mouth. "Oh gods. Oh gods, I didn't know. I didn't—"
Behind the glass, Blake's control shattered. He lunged toward the door, murder in his eyes, but I caught him around the waist, using every ounce of my Alpha strength to hold him back. "She's useless," he snarled, his voice more wolf than human. "She let them scout our territory. She saw one of them and did nothing. I'm going to rip her throat out—"
"Blake, no!" Cole grabbed his other arm, hismint flooding the space in a desperate attempt to calm him. "She's stupid and negligent, but she's not the mastermind. Killing her won't bring Kara back!"
"I don't care!" Blake was shifting, his bones starting to crack and reform. "She helped them. She's the reason they knew where to find Kara, how to get in—"