Chapter 7

Abby ran across the grounds, knowing Lucas would not wait long. She skipped the elevator entirely, took the stairs two at a time, and burst into the office breathless. Lucas looked up from his desk, mild amusement on his face as he tapped the mute button on his phone. “Did you run the whole way?” Abby dragged in a deep breath and wiped sweat from her forehead before grabbing the water bottle off her workstation. She took a long drink, not bothering to answer. The answer was obvious. Lucas smirked and unmuted the phone. “Alpha Evan,” he said, “my trainee just arrived. Her name is Abby Anderson. She’ll be listening in and taking notes.” “That’s fine, Lucas,” a deep voice replied. “I also have my luna here. I believe you spoke to Kari earlier.” “We did.” Lucas waited until Abby had her notebook open and pen ready before continuing. “We’re calling about a former pack member of yours. Joseph Rutter.” There was a pause. “That’s what my mate told me. I’m curious how the council came into contact with Joe.” “He’s currently under investigation,” Lucas replied evenly. “I need more information about his history. Our records show he came from your pack and that a relative of his was involved in your mother’s murder and your kidnapping as an infant.” Another long silence followed before the alpha cleared his throat. “That’s all accurate.” “What else can you tell me about Joe?” A beat passed. “What has Joe told you?” Lucas muted the phone and glanced at Abby. “This guy isn’t going to make this easy.” “I guess not,” Abby murmured. Alphas were usually far more cooperative with council investigations. Lucas unmuted the call. “Joe hasn’t been very forthcoming. He refused to tell me what pack he came from. Abby had to uncover that through old council reports.” “So he’s told you nothing?” the alpha asked skeptically. “He told me that you owe him,” Lucas said. The silence stretched so long that Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but the alpha beat him to it. “I do owe him,” Evan said quietly. “Quite a lot, actually. Is Joe in serious trouble?” “Yes.” Lucas’s eyes narrowed, his attention fixed on the phone. "Joe was the son of the former beta,” the alpha continued. “He grew up with my mate. They were close. He was a good warrior. He resisted me taking over as alpha at first, but many people did. Eventually, he came around.” “Why did you banish him?” Lucas asked. “I didn’t,” Evan scoffed. “Joe left on his own. I offered him the beta position after what he did for us, but he wanted to go. So I let him.” Lucas frowned. “What did he do that earned that kind of debt?” “He saved my life. And my mate’s.” Lucas looked up, meeting Abby’s eyes. She could see the surprise flicker there. “Can you explain?” Lucas asked. The alpha sighed heavily. “Joe’s father, Mark, was the beta. He was also the brother of the woman who kidnapped me as a child. My predecessor believed Mark was loyal. He was wrong. That mistake cost him his life. Mark murdered him and planned to kill my mate to weaken me. He dosed both of us with wolfsbane. My dose was nearly fatal. Joe tried to stop him. In the end, he had to kill his own father to protect us.” Abby’s heart sank, the words crashing through her. Her mate had killed someone. “He killed his father?” Lucas asked sharply. “And you let him walk free?” “Were you listening?” Evan snapped. “That man was going to kill my mate while I lay dying. Joe acted to save us. And it nearly destroyed him.” A strangled sob came through the line. Evan murmured something soothing. “Excuse me,” he said after a moment. “My mate is very upset.” The line went silent. Lucas muted the phone and turned to Abby. “What are you thinking?” She shook her head slowly. “I don’t even know. That’s a lot.” He nodded. “It is.” The line clicked back on. Lucas quickly unmuted it. “Sorry,” Evan said. “This is difficult for her.” “I understand,” Lucas replied. “She and Joe were close?” “They were best friends growing up,” Evan said. “Joe leaving was incredibly hard on her.” Lucas nodded, even though Evan couldn't see it. “Did Joe say what he planned to do after leaving the pack?” There was a pause before Kari answered. “He wanted to find his mate.” Abby’s stomach twisted violently. Her face went cold, blood draining from it. She looked up to find Lucas watching her closely. She forced her expression into something neutral. “Did he say why that mattered so much?” Lucas asked. Another pause. “Joe and Kari were together before I returned to the pack,” Evan said finally. “When mates are found, prior relationships become irrelevant. But Joe was the one left behind. He loved her deeply.” “He was jealous,” Lucas said. “Yes,” Evan agreed. “But more than that, he was heartbroken. After everything with his father, he felt like he had nothing left. He wanted a fresh start.” Abby closed her eyes briefly. Joe had gone searching for hope, for a future, and instead found accusations, pain, and a cell. She swallowed hard. “Can you tell me why Joe is being investigated?” Evan asked. “He’s accused of murdering two council warriors outside our compound,” Lucas said, his gaze still locked on Abby. “That doesn’t sound like Joe,” Evan said after a pause. “You admitted he killed his own father,” Lucas countered. “That was different,” Kari cried, her voice breaking. “Kari,” Evan said softly. “Stop.” He sighed. “If Joe killed your warriors, there was a reason.” “Perhaps,” Lucas said, “but he’s been rogue for two years. People change.” “Maybe,” Evan conceded. “But I don’t believe he did this.” “Will you come here to vouch for him?” Lucas asked. “Yes,” Evan answered immediately. Lucas’s lips thinned. “Then I expect you as soon as possible.” “I’ll need a few days,” Evan said. “But I’ll come. I owe him.” The call ended. Lucas slipped his phone into his pocket, still watching Abby. She shifted, set her notebook down, and finally met his gaze. He knows, Marli whispered. How? Abby thought. He’s an investigator. It’s his job. “The alpha believes Joe is innocent,” Abby said quietly. “Belief isn’t proof,” Lucas replied. “And Joe admitted he let his wolf take control for weeks.” “Could the wolf have gone feral?” she asked. He shrugged. “If he’s being honest about the memory gaps, that could be an explanation.” She looked at the monitor. Joe appeared to be asleep. “Do humans lose their memory if the wolf is feral?” He nodded. “It happens. The wolf can block the human out or the human can choose not to engage through the wolf. If he was as torn about what happened as his alpha said, he might have just given up, let the wolf take control.” “That’s kind of sad,” she muttered, watching the monitor. “That he would have just given up on living and let his wolf go feral.” They were silent for a moment. When Abby looked back at Lucas, he was watching her the same way he had been during the phone call. “Are you going to tell me what your deal is with the rogue?” he asked quietly. “There is no deal,” Abby said. And this time, she believed it. Joe had killed his father. He’d loved another woman. His wolf might be feral. Two warriors were dead. She thought for a moment about the mate of one of the dead warriors, how she had just had a pup a couple weeks ago. Joe and his wolf may be responsible for all that pain. Whatever Abby felt didn't matter. Lucas exhaled. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll let you lie to me.” He stood. “I’m leaving early today.” Abby blinked. “Everything okay?” He hesitated. “Yes.” She snorted. “Now who’s lying?” He smirked. “Tomorrow we start interviewing everyone connected to the warriors. We need to know why they were outside their patrol route and why no alert went out.” She nodded. “What should I do for the rest of the day?” “Go home. Visit your parents. I don’t care.” He paused at the door. “You can have the rest of the day off.” Then he added quietly, “Just don’t talk to the rogue.”