Julian tilted his head slightly, as though reluctant to answer. “Layla Hawthorne.”
Dominic stared down at the map, teeth clenched. Of course it was her. He knew what she did, knew where she lived, how she spent her days, but still. He’d found himself hoping…
He didn’t want her anywhere near this.
“She told you this?”
“Yes.”
“She approached you?”
“I approached her,” Julian corrected, his tone even, “I asked for references. She was…helpful.”
Dominic’s jaw tightened, a muscle jumping once along his cheek. “And how,” he asked, voice low and deliberate, “did you know to askher?”
Julian’s eyes flicked up from the map. “Forgive me, Alpha, but the bookshop has all the old unofficial town records. It seemed logical. And from my intelligence, I knew she had knowledge of those records.”
Dominic studied him across the table, the faint light from the hearth catching the steel in his gaze. “If she has relevant knowledge, why not mention her name sooner?”
“It wasn’t relevant,” Julian said, “until now.”
Dominic leaned back, crossing his arms. “She shouldn’t be anywhere near pack business.”
Julian’s head cocked. “She’s a member of the pack, Alpha.”
“Not an active member.”
Julian regarded him for a long moment, and something sharp, almost curious, moved behind his eyes. “You seem awfully fixated on her. Why?”
Dominic’s reply was hard. “She’s Theodore’s sister.”
“And that makes her important to you?”
Dominic growled softly, “Watch yourself.”
Julian inclined his head, the faintest trace of a smile ghosting across his mouth. “Of course.” He turned back to the map. “The settlement’s remote. No working road access. If the hybrids are using it, they must have established transport links…”
His voice drifted. Dominic wasn’t paying attention. His thoughts had caught on that name. Layla Hawthorne.
He could see her as clearly as if she’d been standing in front of him again. Staring at him with that heartbreaking defiance.
Julian’s voice drew him back, “She seemed unsettled by the topic. Wouldn’t look me in the eye when I asked where she found the record. Either she’s hiding something, or she doesn’t trust the pack.”
Dominic’s tone hardened. “You think she’s lying?”
“I think she’s being careful,” Julian said. “That’s not the same thing as lying.”
“If she knows anything,” Dominic’s hands tightened into fists, “anything at all about these attacks, I want to hear it from her mouth.”
“She’s told us everything we need to know,” Julian said evenly. “We have other priorities.”
Dominic’s head snapped up, eyes dark. “You forget yourself.”
Julian didn’t flinch. “I’m here to serve you, Alpha. I’ll always tell you the truth. I don’t think, however, that you’re extending me the same courtesy.”
For a few tense seconds, they just looked at each other. Two predators, sizing each other up.
Finally, Dominic exhaled through his nose. “We’re going to Voskresen.”
