Finally, when he could talk without fear of his voice shaking, Isaac spoke. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Paul laughed, but it wasn’t the bitter mocking one he’d expected. It sounded desperate to Isaac’s ears. And what the fuck did that mean? “Good,” he said, then shook his head. “I don’t want you to fucking confess, Isaac. I don’t want toknowanything. I don’t want tofindanything. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Honestly?” Isaac stood, hands out wide. “I have no fucking clue what’s going on.”
Paul whirled around to face him. “Things are...” He snarled, and Isaac was so fucking lost, it wasn’t funny. “Not good in the pack. Whatever the fuck you’re planning, you need to do it soon.”
Isaac gaped at him. Surely, he hadn’t heard that right. This wasPaul. The same Paul who hated humans with a passion. Who had carried out interrogations on his own fucking pack members without a second thought. “Do you actually know what you’re asking for?”
“I can hazard a guess.”
“A guess? A fuckingguess?” Isaac advanced on him, getting right in his face, but Paul didn’t flinch. How badwerethings in the McKillan pack?
“I don’t want to think too hard about it, and I sure as fuck don’t want to know details, because I have to go back and report to Simon after this, and Ican’tfucking lie to him.” He looked away, unable to maintain eye contact, and Isaac had a horrible idea of exactly why Paul couldn’t lie to him.
The HRU used a serum in their interrogations that forced their detainees into a half-shift, keeping them in that state until an antidote was administered. The pain would be excruciating. Surely he wouldn’t use the serum on his own team?
His thoughts must’ve shown on his face because Paul laughed and this time it was full of bitterness. “Whatever you’re thinking right now, you’re probably right. Let’s just say there’s a lack of trust in the McKillan pack right now.”
And things were bad enough, for Paul, of all fucking people, to want the Shifter Alliance removed from power. Was this all a trap? Some elaborate HRU plan to get Isaac to confess?
“I know you’re wondering if this is a trap, and nothing I can say will persuade you otherwise. But Simon knows more than you think he does. Check in with your people because he’s getting his information from somewhere. I can’t tell you anything more without him finding out, but you need to move fast or he’ll be ready for you.” Paul’s expression when he looked at Isaac was bleak. “And that won’t end well for any of us.”
Isaac stood in front of him, lost for words. Never would he have predicted this turn of events, and despite his mind telling him Paul was a lying, manipulative sack of shit, he believed him. Gut instinct told him Paul was telling the truth, and like all shifters, Isaac trusted his wolf.
“We’ll be leaving first thing,” Paul said, snapping Isaac back to the present.
“I thought you wanted to search the other two floors?”
Paul smirked. “This is me searching them. I don’t want to find anything that I have to report back. I did the night-time search, as is required by HRU protocol, and discovered nothing untoward. Our job here is done.”
“What’ll happen when you go back to Simon empty-handed?” Curiosity got the better of him. Isaac refused to believe he was actually concerned about Paul’s welfare.
Paul raised an eyebrow. “Steady, Isaac. Anyone would think you gave a shit.”
“Your team don’t deserve to be punished for doing their job.” As much as Isaac hated them in his home, he had to grudgingly admit they weren’t as bad as he’d expected. Not like the ones who’d almost killed Logan.
“No, they don’t.”
Isaac waited for him to say more. He wanted them all gone, but the thought of Simon taking his frustrations out on them didn’t sit well with the healer side of him.
Eventually Paul leant against the side of the fireplace and let out a heavy sigh. “He won’t blame them. He’ll blame me.”
Oh.
Paul’s revelations aside, Isaac couldn’t pretend to suddenly like him. It would take more than a few cryptic sentences to erase years of mistrust. So he said nothing.
“We’ll leave at dawn. Thank you for your patience and hospitality, Alpha Mothecombe.”
It felt like he was reading from a script, so Isaac nodded in acknowledgement.
Halfway to the door, Paul paused and looked back over his shoulder. “I know you don’t trust me, but at the very least, get in touch with your contacts, because he either has someone or you have a mole.” He turned to leave, but Isaac had one more question.
“I thought Simon was head of the HRU. Why don’t you know how he’s getting his information?”
“Like I said, things have changed.” With that, he walked out the door and didn’t look back.
Isaac listened to his soft footfalls all the way up to the second floor, then he sank into the chair again, breath leaving him in a whoosh.
Well, fuck me.
