Page 63 of Bitter Discord

I promised Heath we’d give it one more night. Whatever he’s doing right now, it’s probably helpful. He was right about Arlo’s face being on television. If Lonan knows what Arlo looks like and sees him, I don’t know if Arlo would survive the encounter. I don’t know if any of the werecats would be that trusting, even the ones who don’t think Arlo is the killer. It would be a risk they wouldn’t want to take, not even Everett.

“We’ll be fine for the night.” I felt guilty, so I added one truth. “Some of our guests in Dallas are getting antsy. They might go back to wherever they’re staying for the night. Hopefully, they stay indoors and don’t accept any company.”

“If they leave the mansion, you’ll let me know, right?”

“Probably not,” I answered truthfully. “I can’t let the BSA put tails on them. It would only make everyone edgier than they already are. I don’t even know where they’re staying. What I do know is tensions are high, and there are strong personalities clashing in the mansion every time someone opens their mouth. They won’t want to have a sleepover, no matter how safe it might be.”

“I see. That bad, huh?”

“We’re talking about solitary, independent people who are hundreds of years old and have survived this long on their own. They’re not going to see the benefit of sitting around together, waiting on word. So long as they stay out of my way to find the killer, there’s not much more I can do.” I shrugged, even knowing she couldn’t see that. “It’s just a possibility. They might decide to stay in the mansion, if only to continue proving their own innocence. Or keep from being the second victim.”

“Do you think there will be a second victim?”

“I don’t know, Bethany. I really don’t know,” I admitted. “I’m going to head off. Get that body cremated. I’ll come by the main office in the morning to pick up the ashes.”

“See you then.”

I hung up and tossed my phone on my desk. For a moment, I felt utterly powerless. I didn’t know what direction to go in. Every piece of information I got, the more hopeless the situation felt. I didn’t know how to help except to be the liaison between the werecats and the BSA, using both to uncover every piece of information I could while protecting them from each other. I needed the werewolves to have some sort of breakthrough, but the more hours that passed, the less likely it would be that something was discovered.

Walking out of my office, Ranger was sitting in the living room with Teagan. Both stood at my appearance, watching me like soldiers waiting for orders.

“Have either of you heard from Heath?” I had been distracted by the video call and had paid little attention to the werewolves moving around my territory, an oversight I needed to do better not to make. Now, I couldn’t feel Heath in my territory, which annoyed me.He should have told me he was going to step out.

“Dirk and Landon came in an hour ago and said they saw him at my home while setting up the cameras. He’d gone to check on their work,” Teagan answered.

“He’s still coordinating the patrol, setting down safety rules and answering questions,” Ranger said added. “They’re just beyond the border, setting a maximum distance the pack is allowed to go. He doesn’t want anyone veering too far outside that they can’t quickly get back to alert us of danger and get backup. He’s been texting me every five minutes to confirm their safety. Landon is in the same chat.”

“Okay, that’s good.” Nodding, I felt lost. I needed to do something, but I had no idea what. I thought about the teenagers left in the territory and looked around. There was a third werewolf in the house. Benjamin. It had to be.

“Is Benjamin allowed in Carey’s room without Landon or Heath here?” I asked. Landon and Dirk were back at their house, though I didn’t think that would last.

“Heath and Landon trust Benjamin alone with Carey,” Teagan answered. “Not so much with Arlo. Plus, we’re out here, and we’ll know if anything inappropriate happens.”

“Oh?” I had never heard that before. All three of them did their homework together, but I never realized there was an unwritten rule. “Why Arlo?”

“Arlo is a little older, a bit more self-assured, more likely to make a move if he has a crush on a girl,” Ranger explained. “Benjamin shows all the signs of being a less dominant wolf, middle of the pack. Good at following orders and willing to defend but doesn’t push against authority. Heath has clear rules about moves toward his daughter. Benjamin follows them without question. Arlo is more dominant and pushes boundaries a little more. Sometimes, he thinks he’s grown and might push against Heath’s rules if he was interested in Carey.”

“He’s never been a rule-breaker,” Teagan snarled. Ranger gave him a surprised look, lifting his hands.

“No, he hasn’t. Pushing boundaries isn’t the same as breaking them. Just explaining the difference between the boys as werewolves for Jacky. I’m not accusing Arlo of anything. He’s always respectful, but he’s also getting older and coming into his own dominance.” Ranger looked over his shoulder at me. “Anyway, it’s not a hard rule. The longer you spend as a werewolf, the more obvious the trends become. Heath and Landon haven’t explicitly banned Carey and Arlo from being alone together. You just get this… feeling that their reaction would be a bitmorewith Arlo.”

“Ah…” I liked to believe I understood. “Well, I’m going to check on them—” I felt Heath come back into the territory with four other werewolves, filling the pack back in except for our missing Arlo.

“They’re heading back,” I announced. “Let’s figure out something for dinner that can feed the pack. If we order something now, we might get it before it’s too late.”

“How’s your sister with the other werecats?” Ranger’s question sounded genuine, so I gave him a genuine answer.

“She’s fine. They can’t do much to her. Only a couple of them are even close to her age, but she has magic over them. She’s also not going to let her guard drop. She’s a tough woman, my sister.”

“She seemed like it, talking to Fenris the way she did,” Ranger said, shaking his head a little. “Not many talk to Fenris like that.”

Teagan snorted. “She would splatter Fenris all over the wall without breaking a sweat. In sheer physical power, her father and brother are stronger, but with her magic, she could take them on. It’s been a long-held rumor that the most powerful member of the ruling family isn’t Hasan but his mate. If Zuri really is a witch like her mother, she would be the second most powerful member of the family.”

“Wow,” I said, raising an eyebrow at Teagan. “How much do you know about my family?”

“More than Heath did when he met you.” Teagan sighed. “I’m old. I know a lot.”

“How old?” I kept my eyes on his as he shifted his weight between his feet, looking uncomfortable.

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