Page 58 of War Games

Heath found Carey in the living room, waiting for him to come down. Her eyes, the one thing he definitely gave her, were wide with fear that matched her scent. He reached out and pushed the hair from her face. Fear made her look younger than she was.

She’s so close to grown. I don’t want to do this, but I don’t have any choice.

“You have two options, sweetheart. You can go up there and listen to Niko and Dirk about what help they need, or you can go to your room and talk to?—”

Carey walked past him and went up the stairs, her decision to help Jacky not needing to be said.

Heath walked out, knowing this was going to live with his daughter. It was going to live with all of them, at least the ones who lived through it.

Heath went back to Kick Shot first. He was on the last human for interviews. He reached the upstairs office to find Oliver and the cook he’d been talking to.

“Did you tamper with anything at all before or during the reception?”

“No,” the cook said as Heath faced him.

“Did you bring anything foreign into the building?”

“No.”

Both were the truth, so Heath looked at Oliver, the first he had interviewed, just to be certain of the human’s trustworthiness.

“Let them all go home.” Heath turned and left them there, leaving Kick Shot as quickly as he could, not wanting to linger near the place where Jacky had fallen.

He went to the packhouse. It had been hours since he left Landon there with them in cells. He went to the basement and found Landon there, still waiting, looking relaxed as he leaned on the back wall. The pack was beginning to look tired. Mostwere struggling to stay awake. Ranger and Shamus were the most alert, a sign they still knew their positions and that more was expected of them.

Heath needed to decide who to interrogate first. He’d be able to find the truth going through them one by one, but he wanted more than just the admission or to catch one of them in a lie. He wantedeverything. He wanted all the evidence. This went beyond who in the pack had betrayed him and gotten Jacky hurt. He wanted solid evidence to throw in the face of whoever had bought one of his werewolves.

“Landon, come with me,” Heath said, going back upstairs with his son. Once they were on the ground level, Heath walked farther away, making sure none of the pack could hear them.

“Ranger or Teagan?” Heath didn’t clarify that.

“Teagan. Age plays against him here. He knows older wolves who might decide you’re an enemy. However, if he’s clear, he’s good to keep around to help us since you’re clearly losing some control, Pa.” Landon nodded toward him. “And I smell Jacky’s blood. What the hell is happening over there? Did someone take a sample or something?”

“Something is injuring her, but we don’t know what or how. She’s still unconscious. Something broke one of her damn legs,” Heath said, a growl punctuating the end.

“Fuck. Okay. Teagan is also old enough to know how to help with medical aid if you pick him first. Ranger is experienced in it, though, with his military and police force training. He’s competent.”

“Subira is also on the way to help her daughter,” Heath continued. He’d left Landon without news for too long. “All the humans are clear. One of those werewolves did this. There’s no question about that now.”

“Flip a coin,” Landon said, shrugging.

“Teagan it is,” Heath said, knowing both wolves had a potential reason for being behind this. Teagan was once a member of Corissa’s pack. Heath and Landon had killed Sheila, Ranger’s lover. It didn’t matter if neither of them had ever acted like those things mattered to them. Heath stopped before he got to the basement, only a shred of humanity making him recognize one thing.

“Clear Arlo and Benjamin while I talk to Teagan. I know it couldn’t have been them. Too young, nothing to bribe them with.”

“Yes, sir,” Landon said. Heath could smell the relief from his son at his directive.

Interesting. Something is making you soft, Landon.

On any other day, that would be a good thing.

Perhaps it still is.

Heath went downstairs and stopped in front of the cell with Teagan.

“Teagan, with me,” Heath ordered. “Everyone else, hold in position.” He let power roll through the second half, making sure they hadn’t secretly plotted to escape together.

Teagan rose up and followed him out. Landon went to get the boys next, holding both of their shirts. Together, they all walked to Kick Shot, leaving the others locked below the unfinished packhouse. Oliver and the other humans were already long gone, having run to freedom the moment Heath had given them permission. Heath took Teagan into the office while Landon kept the boys downstairs.

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