Page 39 of Moon Fated

We played a few more rounds, and for those few hours, the search for Callista and the missing dagger was a distant thought. The sun was sinking behind the towering redwoods, painting the sky in hues of lavender as I helped with cleanup.

“Does the pack sponsor things like this?” I asked Will as he held a trash bag for me to scoop up plates left on one of the picnic tables.

He nodded. “Rowan thinks it’s important to foster good relationships with the community.”

I agreed. That was something I always wished we did in Kitimat. Up there it was us verses them. Full stop.

Rowan was waiting for me on the sidewalk. He put out his arm, and I looped mine in his as we walked the few blocks home. “Want to see my house?” he asked.

“Is that your best line?”

He laughed. “I don’t know, you tell me.”

“Terrible.”

“How about, ‘Hey Evelyn, want to come over to strategize?’”

I grinned. “Much better.” He led me past Will and Marissa’s, and truth be told, I was impressed. Based on how awake my wolf was anytime Rowan was near, I knew his wolf must be clamoring for us to solidify our mating bond. He was an alpha, and yet I didn’t see him commanding anyone in his pack to bend to his will. It was like…they wanted to follow him. A foreign concept for me.

Rowan dropped my arm and walked up the steps, then took out his key and unlocked the door. He flicked on the lights, and I followed him in. It was a modern rambler, and I immediately loved his taste. Simple leather furniture, a brick fireplace on the far wall. “You have curtains? I thought bachelors weren’t supposed to know about window treatments.”

“That’s what Lana’s for.” Rowan set the keys on the island in the kitchen and opened the fridge. “Seltzer?”

I nodded and took a seat on the bar stool. He opened the can for me and set it on the counter.

“Can I see the dagger again?” I asked. I doubted I would notice anything new, but it was currently our only lead.

Rowan nodded and disappeared into the hall. A moment later, his footsteps came quick. The moment I saw his face, a chill settled in my bones.

Rowan raked his hand through his hair, stalking into the kitchen. “Evelyn, I’m so sorry. I put it in a hidden drawer in the back of my closet. I don’t know…”

Blood rushed in my ears, drowning him out. The dagger, the one thing anchoring me to my mission, the one lead I had in finding Callista, was gone.

Chapter

Twenty

Rowan

Gone. The word hit me with the force of a charging bull. I’d convinced Evelyn to trust me with it—I’d told her she could trust me. How could it be gone?

Evelyn followed me into my bedroom, and I watched from the door as she surveyed the space. She closed her eyes, and my wolf stood at attention as I sensed hers working to the surface.

“Do you smell that?” Evelyn asked.

I drew a breath. I didn’t sense anything out of the ordinary, but maybe that was because I was used to the smells of my pack. If Evelyn found something—if she linked it to one of the members of my pack?—

She met my stare head-on, her eyes fierce and unwavering. "That scent. It doesn't belong to Black Lake. It's... different. Strange. And it's intentionally covered, like someone's trying to mask their trail from us."

"Masked?" My senses were sharp, honed by years of leading my pack, yet this scent eluded me completely. A cold finger trailed down my spine, awakening a primal unease. "Why can't I smell it?"

"Whoever it is, they're clever. They've managed to conceal their scent, but not completely. There's a trace, something synthetic maybe, that I can follow.” She rushed out of the room.

“Where are you going?”

“To get my backpack and med kit!” She threw on her shoes and ran down the steps.

“Evelyn!” I raced after her, and when I arrived at Will’s, she was already throwing her backpack over her shoulder.

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