Page 47 of Alpha's Forbidden Bond

“They could just have the same name.”

Georgie laughed. “Now you’re grasping at straws.”

“But if that was really the same kid, why would he be living under his real name?” I asked. “That’s not a very good way to keep a low profile. If he wanted to be found, you’d think he would’ve made contact with his family by this point. If he was trying to keep himself hidden, he would’ve changed his name.”

Georgie pursed her lips. I could tell I’d stumped her. “So then you think it’s just a coincidence? Because that would be one hell of a coincidence!”

“No,” I said. “I didn’t say that. If I had to guess, I would say that whoever sent you the information is just using Michael’s name. I don’t know why. Maybe they want to stay anonymous? Or maybe they are trying to lend credibility to the crazy werewolf blog? Either way, I think it’s safe to assume that Stanley’s son isn’t the one emailing you.”

“Then maybe it’s time I find out who is.”

“How would you do that?”

She smiled mischievously. “I think I’m going to pay this person a visit. I have an address for the library he or she works at, and I’m sick of being out of the loop on all this stuff.”

“You’re not?—”

“Oh, save it,” she said, standing up off the stool and finishing off her coffee with one big sip. “I can tell there is still some stuff you’re not telling me, and if you have to keep secrets for now, that’s fine. But I’m the one who started down this research path. I’m the one who found M. S. Kingsley, so I’m going to be the one who learns who is really behind the curtain. And I’m going to do so first thing this morning.”

“What about the shop?”

“You can manage the place on your own,” she said casually. “You’ve done it before. Remember that time I had the flu?”

“That was awful! I messed like ten things up in a single day.”

“Yeah, but you know what you’re doing now. That was like ten years ago, and besides, it’s not like you burned the place down or anything. You’ll be fine.”

“But Georgie—” Even though I could tell from her eagerness that there was likely no stopping her, I had to try. What if M. S. Kingsley revealed the truth to her about the Vilks? What if this person was able to show her undeniable proof that werewolves existed and Andreas was one? She’d promised she was going to do whatever she could to keep him and his pack safe. “Do you really want to drive all the way out to Sacramento when you don’t even know if anything this person has told you is the truth? They might not even work at the library!”

“I just want to see for myself,” she said. “The last couple of weeks have been really crazy, Di. With you making contact with the Vilks family and this guy stalking you—I don’t know. For the first time in my life, I’m starting to feel a little unsafe in my own hometown. I don’t like that feeling. Not one bit. So if there’s something I can do to help me feel less vulnerable, if there’s knowledge out there that I need to have in order to stay safe, then I’m going to seek it out. You understand that, don’t you?”

She slung her purse over her shoulder and stood there waiting for an answer. I stared back at her for a second or two and then sighed.

“Of course I do,” I said.

How could I fight her on this? Georgie deserved to go looking for knowledge that would help her sleep at night, and as her best friend, I wouldn’t stand in her way. “And if you really feel like you have to do this—then I say go for it.” Maybe I was betraying Andreas in a way by encouraging Georgie to go looking for answers, but at least I wasn’t giving them to her myself, right?

She nodded with a confidence that I didn’t normally see her wear when it came to serious or dangerous matters. “Okay then. I’ll call you when I get to the city.”

“Please do.”

“And you call me if anything goes on here at the store. If you get too overwhelmed, you can always close up shop early.”

I smiled but knew deep down I wouldn’t close up shop early. With Georgie driving to Sacramento to track down M. S. Kingsley and my burning desire for Andreas growing by the minute, I would need the distraction of a hard day’s work.

I flipped the ‘Open’ sign around and smiled proudly. I managed to keep my mind occupied for most of the day and made a handful of sales despite business being quite slow. I took ten minutes to make sure everything was in order and to move the money from the register into the safe in Georgie’s office, then locked up and headed home.

At my apartment, I packed an overnight bag with just the essentials, then sat on my bed and waited. I couldn’t head for the compound until it was well after dark, meaning I’d have to wait for at least two or three hours. My stomach growled, so I went upstairs to scrounge for some food in the fridge. Georgie’s gran was out with her friends playing bridge that night, but she’d left a note for me to help myself to anything I wanted. There was a little bit of wine left in a bottle by the fridge, so I took that back in an attempt to calm my nerves. It didn’t really help, but it had a deliciously sweet taste to it.

I was excited to see Andreas. Really excited. But I was also a little worried he might immediately recognize that something was up. What would he say if I came clean about letting Georgie leave for Sacramento? Or when he found out that I think there’s a connection between this kid who wrote about werewolves online and the man who followed me to the compound the other night? I knew I should’ve told him about my suspicions this morning, but we were just sharing such a nice moment together. I didn’t want to ruin it with information that might not even have any real consequences.

But still… Deep down, I was worried I’d made a mistake.

Oh god… This is all so messy.

I forced myself to take a few deep breaths and try not to spiral. I was going to tell Andreas everything that night. The whole truth, from start to finish, leaving nothing out. Then I would follow his lead. Whatever he wanted to do, however, he wanted to proceed, I would respect his wishes. I understood that he had a lot more to lose than I did, and I cared too much about him to willingly put him in harm’s way again.

Chapter 23

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