“Movements, weaknesses, anything useful,” the scout admitted. “Theodore wants to know what’s going on here. He’s got plans for this town.”
“What kind of plans?”
“Retaliation. He’s targeting Bellefleur to send a message. Wants to show people that no one’s untouchable—not even you.”
Grayson’s blood ran cold. Just like he’d heard before, Theodore wasn’t content with tearing apart neighboring towns—he wanted Bellefleur to fall, and he wanted to make it clear that Grayson was the reason.
“What about the auctions?” Ryder asked.
“Witches, shifters, anyone he can get his hands on. The auctions fund everything. Without them, the operation falls apart.”
Grayson exchanged a look with Ryder and Zach. The confirmation solidified what they’d already suspected, but hearing it out loud made it feel more real—and more important than ever to put a stop to it.
“Where are they holding the captives?” Grayson demanded.
The scout’s eyes darted to each of them as if weighing his chances. “I don’t know. I swear. Only Theodore’s inner circle knows the locations.”
Grayson took a step closer and dropped his voice, low and dangerous. “Then tell me something I don’t already know. Why shouldn’t I hand you over to the people whose lives you’ve helped ruin?”
The man’s composure cracked entirely. “Because I can help you! I know their patterns, their movements. I can tell you when the next auction’s happening.”
“And why would we trust you?” Zach asked, pushing off the wall. “You’ve already lied about why you were here. What’s to stop you from feeding us false information?”
“I’m not stupid. If I lie, you’ll kill me. I get it. But if I help you, maybe you’ll let me live.”
Ryder let out a humorless laugh. “You think that’s how this works?”
Grayson raised a hand, silencing Ryder. “When’s the next auction?”
“Three days,” the man answered immediately. “They’re moving captives to a transport site west of here. That’s all I know.”
He could see the fear in the man’s eyes, but fear didn’t equal honesty. In fact, often, it makes people tell desperate lies. “You’d better hope that’s true. Because if it’s not, you won’t get another chance.”
“It’s true. I swear.”
Grayson turned to Ryder. “Keep him under guard. We’ll verify his intel before we decide what to do with him.”
Ryder nodded. “Got it.”
Grayson strode out of the room. Theodore’s plans were moving faster than he’d anticipated, and the stakes were higher than ever. He had to get eyes on Cora and make sure she was okay.
He headed toward the apartment, but as he approached the door, he realized something: this wasn’t the time for another argument or another plan. Cora deserved more than his constant warnings and grim updates.
This time, he needed to show her something else—something that reminded them both of what they were fighting to protect—something normal.
Grayson stood outside the bakery with his hands buried deep in his jacket pockets, staring down at the pavement as if the cracks in the sidewalk held the answers to all his questions. He had faced down enemies, walked into traps, and taken beatings that would break lesser men, yet asking Cora on a date made his pulse hammer like a rookie on his first mission.
The door swung open, and the faint aroma of cinnamon and sugar escaped with the rush of air. Cora stood in the doorway with an amused smile playing on her lips. “Grayson Kane, loitering outside the bakery. Should I be worried?”
He looked up, startled by her sudden appearance, and cleared his throat. “Not exactly.”
“Then what are you doing here?” she teased. “Hoping to snag a free cookie?”
“No.” He straightened, feeling unreasonably warm under her gaze. “I, uh, wanted to ask you something.”
Cora tilted her head. “This sounds serious. Should I sit down?”
“I’m trying to be,” he muttered, mostly to himself, before finally meeting her eyes. “Will you go out with me? Like…on a date.”
