Page 40 of Connected

“Nothing. Sorry, I just… Oh, I don’t know,” she shrugs. “I’ve been feeling a little emotional since we got back. I know it’s kinda pathetic, right? I just can’t stop thinking about that pup and that there was nothing we could do to save it.”

“Hey… we saved the others—those other pups—and the wolves we set free. Kat, we did what we could, so take the win.”

“I know, but it doesn’t feel like a win; it doesn’t feel like we did enough. I can’t imagine what she’s going through, Eloise. I mean as each of that pack now has their pups, how’s she gonna feel?”

“Kat, you need to stop thinkin’ about this. We could do no more than we did.” He leans forward and returns her kiss. Closing his eyes, the scent of her fills his nostrils and he coughs, “Oh hell, you smell so good—toogood.”

“Well, I guess I should, the number of baths I’ve been taking, trying to rid myself of Alvarez and his sickly-sweet cologne—that stuff smelled so bad,” she sighs. Wafting her hand in front of her face, she blows air, trying to cool herself down. “Sorry, I keep feeling hot. Since I was released from that collar and Luna came back, I’m all over the place. You know…” she places a hand on Zak’s stubbly beard as she changes the subject. “You need to tidy up this scruff, especially if you’re gonna take QT for dinner?”

“Dinner? Oh, um… now hold on a minute, I don’t know about that. I mean, I know what I said, but… I’m not sure he wants to go to dinner with me. He should wait until… What I mean is, he needs—”

“If you say he needs a fuckin’ alpha one more time, then just know I’m gonna slap you. Zak, I’m telling you; he’s waiting for you to ask him. Geez, if you can’t see how taken he is with you, then I need to test your eyesight.”

“You really think he wants to go… with me?”

“Trust me and just fuckin’ ask him already. Oh, and make it somewhere nice, like a proper date, not just some dumb burger bar.”

“All right, well then I’ll think about it. You’re okay with it though? Me and QT, if… you know we—”

“Hell yeah! Zak, I’m totally okay with it and so will Digby, if that’s what you’re worried about. Hell, he’ll only be surprised it’s taken you this long.” Stepping back, she hands him his shirt. “Put this on while I get your shot ready. No, I hadn’t forgotten,” she laughs, giving him another kiss. “Now, as I said, drop your pants.”

“Now there’s an offer I can’t resist.” He places his hands on her waist and stares her in the eyes. “Kat, are you sure you’re, all right?”

“Yeah, I told you I’m fine.” She hesitates to look him in the eyes, “Zak, what is it?”

“I… I wanted to tell you somethin’ but with you still cut up about what happened, I didn’t wanna make things worse.”

“Well, what is it?”

“It’s about that girl, the pregnant woman—Sophia. You remember we said she looked familiar? Well, I did some checking up and those photos I backed up, from Munroe’s phone. Kat, she was one of the women in the photos he took.”

“Oh my God, are you serious? But how’s that even possible?”

“Well, I went through some mission logs on the system. It seems his unit was posted to Mexico—on operations for a couple of months. They were partnering with the local forces—maybe somethin’ to do with intel recon? Kat, I think… well, I think ‘Rick’ was short for Patrick.”

“Shit! Are you saying you think he fathered Sophia’s baby? Oh my God wait; you don’t think those other wolves were women from his phone? What about Eloise, the wolf that lost her pup, was she on there?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t get to see her, but… it’s possible.”

“Do you still have the photos?”

“Yeah, yeah, I have them here in a file I saved. Wait, I’ll find them.”

He pulls his cell from his pocket and opens the file. Kat gulps anxiously as once again she scrolls the many photographs of girl’s faces. Suddenly she stops and taking a breath, her mouth drops open and she looks up at Zak.

“Oh… that’s her. That’s Eloise. How the hell? So, do you think Munroe was involved with Alvarez?” she frowns. “I mean, we know Munroe knew about me, after what he said—in the park. Do you think it’s all connected? Do you think he was getting these women pregnant on purpose? That they wanted their pups or—”

“Kat, I have no idea. But I really think we need to tell Digby and Darius; I mean about Munroe.”

“No! Zak, please no. I don’t want all that dragged up again. Look Munroe’s dead—he’s not coming back and so, what he said or did before he died, makes no difference. Please, Zak, you promised you wouldn’t say anything. I don’t want Digby thinking I kept this from him and that I didn’t trust him enough to say.”

“All right, sure. But Kat, this is the only thing. Never ask me to keep anythin’ else from him again. In this team, we don’t keep secrets.”

“Okay, I won’t. Now… let’s get finished up here. Then you can go make that dinner reservation,” she smiles.

“Hey… knock-knock. Are you all done in here?”

“Oh, hey…” Kat turns around and smiles as Digby waits in the doorway, watching as Zak—his pants around his knees—leans over the couch.

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