My heart thumps hard at his admission. Reaper’s whole body is tense. Agitation rolls off him in waves. I look to Sander, confused; his reaction is extreme, but Sander seems relieved.
“Look, do you know anything? Anyone who would want to hurt Salena or her friends? I know we’ve asked before, but . . . fuck. It was Lola.” My voice betrays my emotions.
“I told you last time, no. If I did, I would have dealt with it.”
My eyes narrow on him, and he raises his hands. “I’ll send out my pack and help find this fucker. Enough is enough. Salena may not have chosen me, but I won’t stand by anymore. This fucker needs to be taken care of.”
There’s that word again,pack.
Sander stands up and moves to shake Reaper's hand. Something passes between them, and I frown. What is that about? Sander is acting differently than I’m used to.
When we get back on the road, my hands clench around the steering wheel. “Well, that was a waste of time,” I sigh.
“No, now we have help.”
“What was up back there? You seemed different.”
Sander looks over at me, his gaze lingering. “What do you mean?”
I shake my head, putting the car in drive. “I don’t know. You just seem different.”
On the drive back to Boulder, the only sounds are the steady hum of the engine and Sander tapping the keys on his laptop. All the while, I’m lost in my thoughts. How could someone kill sweet, bubbly Lola? She was so young and full of life. Whoever it is must have a huge grudge against Salena and wants her gone. Permanently.
Chapter Forty Four
Salena
Iwakejustbeforenoon and can sense my brothers in the house, but no Logan. The crushing weight of last night comes crashing down on me, and I bury my head in the pillow and scream. The bedroom door bursts open with a loud bang, and Kai and Felix are there.
“Salena,” Felix says softly.
Suddenly there is someone else in the room with us, and I jump from the bed and shift in a heartbeat, my emotions too raw and mind too fractured to control it. I let out a deep growl, my eyes trained on the doorway.
I’m shocked to see Old Myrtle standing there, a look of anguish on her aged, weathered face.
“It’s okay, child. I’m not here to harm you. I heard about poor dear Lola.”
I huff out a sharp breath before shifting back into my human form. “You scared me,” I say, choking on the words. My throat is raw and achy from hours upon hours of crying.
The old witch never leaves her house in the mountains. This is an extremely rare occurrence.
“Sorry, we didn’t think she would follow us up here,” Felix apologizes, throwing her a dark look.
“How do you know Lola?” Kai asks, moving up next to me.
“Lola used to visit me once a week. I always looked forward to it.”
Surprise filters through me. I had no knowledge she did that. Felix walks past Kai and me.
“Let’s take this out of the bedroom, yeah?” he says.
We all move downstairs to the living area and take a seat. Except for Felix, who stands by the window, staring out at the snow covered ground. His shoulders are hunched, and stress holds every muscle in his body hostage. I can feel each and every one of my pack through our shared connection. Their pain, grief, and anger all adding to my own.
Lucy, Grady, and Rose are suffering the most. Grady spent all night hunting whatever attacked me and killed Lola. Kai’s the one who went to get him, force him home to be with his family.
There’s a soft knock on the door, and Felix leaves to answer it. He’s only gone a minute when he guides Amara in. Her tear-stricken face is red and puffy. I have no idea how she knew this is where we would be or where Logan lives.
“Is it true?” she whispers, her eyes meeting mine.
