Chapter 18 The Investigation
“We need to go to Rosewood Bar,” Lycian said once we were in the car. “That’s where Madison says she was attacked.”
“Wolf bar,” Damien said from the backseat. “They won’t talk to a human.”
“They’ll talk to me.”
My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. Text after text. All from blocked numbers.
You’re dead.
Midnight. Can’t wait.
Human trash.
I turned it off. Shoved it in my pocket.
“They hate me,” I whispered.
“They don’t know you.” Lycian’s hand found mine. “Yet.”
The Rosewood Bar was small. Neon sign flickering. The parking lot was half full even at ten PM.
We walked to the entrance. The bouncer looked us up and down. His eyes lingered on me.
“Is she human?”
“She’s my mate,” Lycian said.
The bouncer’s eyebrows rose. But he stepped aside.
Inside smelled like beer and wolves. The music cut off when we entered. Fifty pairs of eyes turned. All of them are gold.
“That’s her,” someone whispered. “The human who attacked Madison.”
My throat went dry. Lycian’s hand pressed against my lower back. Steady.
“We need to talk to whoever was here tonight,” he said. His voice carried. “Around nine o’clock.”
Nobody moved.
“Anyone?”
A man at the bar finally turned. Older. Gray in his hair. Amber eyes instead of gold. “I was here. What do you want to know?”
“Did you see Madison Blackthorn?”
“Saw her come in around eight thirty. She was meeting someone.” He took a sip of beer. Slow. “Left about nine. Alone.”
“Who was she meeting?”
“Don’t know. Didn’t see him.” He set down his beer with a soft clink against the counter and ran a hand over his face. “But I heard her on the phone before she left. She sounded furious. Telling someone that they better show up or the whole plan would fall apart.” My heart skipped a beat. That one sentence made the air feel heavier, like it was pressing down on my chest.
I swallowed hard and asked, “What plan?” His eyes met mine, sharp and unreadable, holding me in a stare that made my skin crawl. He didn’t answer at first, just let the silence stretch between us. Finally, he leaned back slightly and said in a low voice, “Didn’t say.” Then he added, almost like it was a test, “You’re the human, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“You attack her?”
“No.”
He studied me. Long enough that I wanted to squirm. “Didn’t think so. You don’t smell violent.”
“That doesn’t prove anything,” a woman called from a booth.
“Actually it does,” the man said. “Marcus has been here twice tonight. Making sure we all know the human’s dangerous.” He turned back to the bar. “Seemed too eager.”
“Pull up the security footage,” Lycian said to the bartender.
The bartender hesitated. Young. Nervous. His eyes flicked between Lycian and the other wolves.
“Do it,” Lycian said. Not a request.
The bartender disappeared. Came back with a laptop. Set it on the bar. His fingers flew over the keys.
“Parking lot camera. Covers the back entrance.”
He hit play.
The timestamp read 8:47 PM. Madison walked into frame. Phone pressed to her ear. Pacing.
At 8:53, she hung up. Stood there. Then someone approached from off-camera.
“There,” Damien said. “Who’s that?”
The figure was tall. Male. Broad shoulders. But the camera angle was wrong. Too dark. We couldn’t see his face.
Madison talked to him. Gestured. Angry. The figure grabbed her arm. She yanked away.
Then he hit her.
Fast. Hard. She dropped.
I gasped.
The figure dragged her deeper into the parking lot. Out of camera range.
“That’s it,” the bartender said. “Camera doesn’t reach that far.”
“Go back,” Lycian said. “Zoom in.”
The bartender rewound. Froze on the best frame of the attacker.
Still too dark. Just a shadow.
“Can’t see his face,” Damien muttered.
“But we can see he’s male. Tall. Probably six feet or more.” Lycian looked at me. “You’re five foot five. No way anyone could mistake you for that.”
“Unless she hired him,” the woman in the booth said.
“With what money?” Lycian’s voice went hard. “She works two jobs. Barely affords food. She doesn’t have cash to hire anyone.”
“Maybe you gave her the money.”
“I was with her. All night.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket even though it was off. I pulled it out. One new voicemail. From the hospital.
I played it with shaking hands.
“Ms. Hale, this is Dr. Martinez. Your aunt’s insurance was just flagged. They’re reviewing her coverage. Her treatment tomorrow might be canceled. Please call immediately.”
The phone slipped from my fingers.
Lycian caught it. Listened. His face went dark. “Marcus.”
“He’s going after everything,” I whispered. “My aunt. My life. Everything.”
“Send me that footage,” Lycian told the bartender.
We left. Got back in the car.
“We have proof it wasn’t her,” Damien said. “The video shows a man.”
“Video shows nothing. Just a shadow.” Lycian drove too fast. “We need Madison to tell the truth.”
“She won’t. Not with her father there.”
“Then we get her alone.”
We pulled into the hospital parking lot. Ran through the doors. Up to the fourth floor.
Marcus was gone. Madison’s room door was closed.
Lycian pushed it open without knocking.
Madison was awake. Sitting up. Looking at her phone. She dropped it when she saw us.
“Get out.”
“No.” Lycian locked the door behind us. “We need to talk.”
“I have nothing to say.”
“Really? Because I just watched security footage. Saw you get attacked by a man. Tall. Not Elowen.”
Her face went pale.
“Who was it, Madison?”
“I told you. It was her.”
“Stop lying.”
“I’m not…”
“Then explain the video. Explain the man who was clearly six feet tall.” His voice dropped. Dangerous. “Explain why you’re protecting whoever did this.”
She bit her lip. Looked away.
“Madison.” I stepped forward. “Please. I know you hate me. I know you want Lycian. But this is my life. If the pack votes against me tonight, they’ll kill me.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m not protecting anyone.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Madison,” Lycian said. “Tell me the truth. Right now. Or I swear I will make your life hell.”
“You can’t threaten me.”
“Watch me.”
The room went quiet. Just machines beeping. Madison’s breathing. Too fast.
“It was supposed to be fake,” she whispered.
My stomach dropped. “What?”
“Just supposed to scare you. Make you look dangerous.” Tears spilled. “My father hired someone. Told me to meet him. Said he’d rough me up a little. Nothing serious. Just enough to blame on you.”
“So you lied,” Lycian said. His voice was ice.
“I was scared! My father said if I didn’t, he’d cut me off. No money. No pack. Nothing.” She sobbed. “But the guy hit me too hard. I blacked out. When I woke up, my father was there. Tell me to say it was you.”
“Who did your father hire?”
“I don’t know his name. Some wolf from out of town. My father paid him five thousand dollars.”
“Where is he now?”
“Gone. My father sent him away right after.”
Lycian pulled out his phone. Started recording. “Say that again. All of it.”
Madison looked at the phone. At me. At Lycian.
Then she told the truth.