CHAPTER9
Isaac leant against the kitchen worktop, eating a sandwich that tasted like cardboard for all the appetite he had. Callum and Alice stood next to him doing the same, while Paul and his team took up the kitchen table, with a few of them taking their food outside to eat on the grass.
They’d finished their inspection of his pack homes, thankfully with no more serious incidents. But Alice still wore a scowl, eating her sandwich like it had personally offended her. Isaac suspected she’d be wearing that scowl until the HRU left.
Not that he blamed her.
It was only sheer willpower that kept his own face from doing the same. Callum, on the other hand, appeared his usual laid-back self, as though eating lunch with a bunch of the McKillan pack in their kitchen was an everyday occurrence.
Isaac thought of the shifters currently in the cave beneath them and had to stifle a snort because these days it was.
Done with his food, he set his plate aside and folded his arms across his chest. “What do you want to see next?” he asked when Paul glanced over at him, also done with his food.
He pushed his chair back, regarding Isaac carefully. “I want to do an extensive search of the grounds and also the house.”
Isaac frowned because Paul had already seen most of the grounds and been down to the beach. He held his tongue, though, confident his team wouldn’t find anything either. His pack were extremely fucking thorough at hiding evidence.
“Okay.”
“I’m going to send some outside to search and the rest of us will scour the house. Starting from the top floor and working our way down.”
Isaac bristled.
The top floor held his private quarters, and the idea of having Paul or any of them in there, going through his things, made him want to gnash his teeth and snarl.
“Is it absolutely necessary to search my fucking apartment?”
Paul shrugged. And if Isaac had expected him to feel any remorse, he was wrong. “It’s protocol.”
“Fucking protocol.” Isaac hated that word more and more as the day wore on.
“I know you think I’m enjoying all this—”
“I know you fucking are,” Isaac hissed.
“You’re wrong.” He shook his head but didn’t say anything else, and Isaac rolled his eyes.
Whatever.
I couldn’t give a fuck either way.
As soon as everyone had eaten their fill and tidied their mess away, Paul chose five of his team to search outside. Like before, Isaac sent Callum to keep an eye on them but kept Alice with him.
Paul said nothing as Isaac led them up the stairs past the first floor. When they reached the second, he called for Isaac to stop. “What’s above this one?”
“My rooms.”
“Just yours?”
Isaac nodded.
“Right,” Paul began, turning to face the remainder of his team. “I’ll take the top floor with Isaac. The rest of you split into three teams and start working the rooms on this floor. Be thorough but respectful. This is Alpha Mothecombe’s home, and I doubt he’ll be impressed if we trash the place.”
Isaac stared at him, mouth slightly open.
“What?” Paul scowled back at him. “We’re not animals.”
Mm-hmm.
