Page 85 of Knot Her Mountain Men

Maverick came into the sheriff’s office with me, the others waiting outside. I didn’t want my pack to have to deal with law enforcement more than necessary.

Sheriff Marks, according to his badge, looked up from his desk. “What can I help you wi—Holy shit. Morgan Harris?”

“Um, yeah, that’s me. I’m not sure what the protocol is. The clinic I went to said they were going to tell you I was alive. One of the alphas who took care of me did call ahead…”

Sheriff Marks stared at me like I was a ghost.

“Do I have to sign anything?”

“Hell of a lot more than that. We’ve been investigating Brandon McLean for your murder.”

I froze, only remaining upright because of Maverick’s arm around my waist. “Really? My alphas wanted me to report him.”

“I need you to make a statement about what happened.”

I glanced up at Maverick, and he kissed the top of my head. “I’ll be right here when you’re all done.”

“Come on into my office,” Sheriff Marks said, still shaking his head like he couldn’t believe I was actually in front of him. “I need to record the statement if that’s all right with you?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

He nodded, sitting and setting the recording device between us. “This is Sheriff Wilson Marks taking the statement of Morgan Harris.” He added the case number and the date before looking expectantly to me. “Ms. Harris, please tell us exactly the events that led to you going missing.”

I poured it all out, from the planning for the trip to our drive out, everything I could remember Brandon saying to me before packing up our camp without warning to leave me out there.

“Can you please specify the date you went on this trip and the day you believe he left you behind?”

I glanced at the little calendar on his desk, double-checking to ensure I was correct before answering.

“Let the record show that Brandon McLean did not report Ms. Harris as missing until three days later.”

Jagged ice crystals formed in my chest. Not only had Brandon abandoned me, but he made sure I was out there long enough that no one would’ve been able to help me if they found me. I really would have died if not for Bear.

“There were a number of text messages sent between two phones, one owned by Ms. Harris and the other by Mr. McLean, in the days between Ms. Harris’s abandonment and Mr. McLean’s reporting of her going missing.”

“But I didn’t have my phone,” I protested. “I’d have called for help if I did.”

“We have copies of the text messages. If you could please look over them and confirm whether or not you sent them.”

He brought them up on the screen and read them aloud as my eyes flicked over the screen. They were all sent two days after he’d left me in the woods.

Morgan:

Honey I’m so scared I don’t know what to do my battery is getting low and it’s so dark

Brandon:

It’s ok baby I’m trying to find you just stay where you are

Morgan:

I love you so much I’m so sorry I wandered off the path

Please don’t blame yourself this isn’t your fault

It went on like that for more than two dozen messages, most of them from my phone begging, apologizing, and professing a love that definitely wasn’t real.

“I didn’t sendanyof those. I don’t even talk to him like that.” I shuddered. “Brandon and I have never dated, we’ve never been together, and I kind of want to throw up that he or whoever had my phone was trying to make it look like we were.”

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