Page 41 of Protected By Artemis

He had always been the Alpha, the one who carried the weight of the pack on his shoulders. His life had been a constant battle to maintain control, to ensure the safety and well-being of those he cared about. But with her, it was different. She saw through the façade and understood the man beneath the title. She didn’t expect him to be perfect; she just wanted him to be himself.

He tightened his hold on her. It was more than just physical attraction, though that was undeniably strong. It was the way she made him feel—seen, valued, and cherished. Over the years, a wall had grown around his heart, but Artemis had a way of breaking them down effortlessly, brick by brick.

“Ready for the meeting?” she asked.

“Yes.” They were supposed to discuss what they found out—or rather, what they didn’t find out. He was glad most of the alphas were cleared, but there was still the question of Mallory. They were waiting for the data from the app about Mallory and Daniel, but Artemis confirmed that she didn’t feel anything off about the almost-alpha. Yet he had a gut feeling there was something more, something they needed to look into further.

He sighed, resting his chin on her head. “I can’t shake the feeling that we’re missing something with Mallory.”

“Sometimes gut feelings are worth listening to. We should keep digging.”

Before he could respond, there was a knock on the door. Artemis flashed to the chair in front of his desk, and he stood up before saying, “Come in.”

Xavier entered, his expression as serious as ever. “Alpha, my lady,” he greeted them with a nod before turning his attention to Cade.

“Xavier, what did you find out?”

Xavier took the seat opposite Artemis, his gaze steady. “Not much, unfortunately. The other packs were clean. No suspicious activities, no odd behavior. It’s like trying to catch smoke.”

“So, we’re back to square one,” Cade frowned, sitting behind his desk.

“But I agree with you. There’s something about Mallory and Daniel.”

Cade’s brow furrowed. “What did you find?”

“Not much, which is suspicious in itself,” Xavier admitted. “They’ve been very careful, almost too careful. Their financials check out, their communications are clean, despite having that industrial-grade encryption on their devices”

“We need to find out what they’re hiding. We can’t let anything slip through the cracks.”

“Have you considered looking into their personal lives?” Artemis leaned forward, her eyes sharp. “Sometimes the smallest detail can unravel the biggest secrets.”

Xavier’s jaw tightened, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. “I’m thorough in my investigations, Goddess. I don’t leave stones unturned.”

Cade held his tongue, watching the exchange with interest. He knew Artemis could handle her own, and this was her way of pushing for a deeper look into their suspects.

“I’m sure you are, Xavier.” Artemis raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. “But it never hurts to have a fresh perspective, does it?”

Xavier’s eyes narrowed. “What exactly are you suggesting?”

“I’m suggesting we look into the people around Mallory and Daniel,” she said calmly. “Their families, their friends, their pasts.”

Xavier crossed his arms. “And you think I haven’t done that?”

Artemis shrugged, her smile widening. “I’m sure you have. But maybe you need to dig a little deeper. Trust me, I’ve dealt with enough tricksters and liars in my time to know that the truth is often hidden in plain sight.”

Cade watched as Xavier’s annoyance simmered, but he could see the logic in Artemis’s words starting to sink in. Xavier was stubborn, but he wasn’t foolish. He knew when to take good advice, even if it bruised his ego a bit.

“Fine,” Xavier said after a moment. “I’ll dig deeper. But don’t expect miracles. These guys are pros at covering their tracks.”

Artemis leaned back. “That’s all I’m asking. Just don’t underestimate them.”

“I’ll start digging into their network, see if anyone close to them raises any red flags,” Xavier nodded curtly, turning to leave the office.

Once the door closed behind Xavier, Cade turned to her, a smile tugging at his lips. “You have a way of getting under people’s skin.”

She snickered. “It’s a gift. And sometimes a curse. But in this case, it was necessary.”

He stood up and leaned against the desk in front of her. “You handled that perfectly. Xavier needed that push.”

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