“You’re sure?”
“He has pictures of her. Maps of her daily routine. And—” I stop myself before I mention the underwear. Some things are too personal to share, even with my packmate. “Yeah. I’m sure.”
Dylan’s face darkens. “What do you want to do?”
“Report to Nic. This guy isn’t just some stalker. He’s planning something, and I want to know what before he has a chance to execute it.”
We leave the camp exactly as we found it. No sense tipping him off that we’ve been here. The walk back to town feelslonger than usual, and by the time we reach pack headquarters, my jaw aches from clenching it so tight.
Nic is in his office when I knock on the door. Luna sits on the couch by the window, and they both look up as I enter.
Nic leans back in his chair and studies my face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Connor.”
“Worse.” I close the door behind me and cross to stand in front of his desk. “We went back to the hiker’s camp. The one on the eastern border.”
“And?”
“It’s Fern’s ex. The one who’s been stalking her.”
Luna straightens on the couch. “You’re sure?”
“I found photographs of her. Maps tracking her movements around town. He’s been watching her for weeks, maybe longer.” I plant my palms on Nic’s desk and lean forward. “This guy is dangerous. We need to find him before he makes a move.”
Nic considers this for a moment with his fingers steepled under his chin. “Did you find anything that tells us where he might be now?”
“No. The camp was empty when we arrived. But he’s been using it regularly. The supplies are fresh. He’ll be back.”
“Then we set a watch on the camp.” Nic glances at Luna, who nods in agreement. “Round-the-clock surveillance. The moment he shows his face, I want to know about it.”
“And then what?”
“Then we have a conversation with him about the consequences of threatening pack members. Fern is under ourprotection now. Anyone who tries to hurt her will answer to the entire pack.”
Some of the knot in my chest loosens at his words. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. We still have to catch him.” Nic rises from his chair and moves around the desk to clap me on the shoulder. “Go home. Get some rest. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”
“I’m fine.”
“That wasn’t a suggestion.” He steers me toward the door. “Dylan can handle the first watch. I’ll have Thomas and James rotate in after that. You’re no good to anyone if you collapse from exhaustion.”
I want to argue, but he’s right. My entire body aches with tiredness, and my thoughts are sluggish and slow. I need sleep, even if the thought of lying alone in my bed makes me want to punch something.
“Fine.” I pause at the door and turn back. “But I want updates. The second anything changes, I want to know.”
“You’ll be the first call I make.”
I leave the headquarters and start walking toward my cabin on the other side of town. The streets are quiet at this hour, with most of the pack either at work or settling in for dinner. A few people wave as I pass, and I return their greetings with nods that probably come across as more curt than I intend.
I don’t mean to take the long way home. I don’t mean to walk down the street that leads past Fern’s cottage. But somehow, that’s exactly where I end up, standing on the sidewalk across from her front door with my hands shoved deep in my pockets.
The porch is dark, but there’s a lamp glowing in the living room window. She’s home. Probably making dinner or curled up on the couch with one of those medical journals she likes to read. I picture her there, her legs tucked under her, her brow furrowed in concentration, and the ache in my chest doubles.
I could knock. I could tell her what I found at the camp and watch her face go pale with fear. I could offer to stay with her again, to keep watch through the night, to make sure nothing touches her while she sleeps.
But she doesn’t want that. She made that perfectly clear this morning.
Still, my feet stay rooted to the sidewalk. I stare at her door and will myself to walk away.
