Page 118 of Alpha's Impostor Bride

“Around fifty, give or take.”

My blood goes cold. “You said serial killer,” I murmur after a moment. “Does that mean you found bodies?”

George munches on his fries, unaware of my inner turmoil. “We found two. Restraint marks on their wrists and ankles. Massive bruising, signs of torture, needle marks in places you wouldn’t think to look. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to conduct autopsies because both bodies disappeared from the morgue. It was evident that they hadn’t died in the custody of the killer. They had escaped somehow. We found both bodies within hours of each other. It seemed like they had escaped at the same time and had gone in different directions. From the pattern of fresh bruising on their bodies, we could tell that when they were running, they were not very coordinated or balanced.”

My appetite is gone. I stare at the table. “If they had escaped, they should’ve shifted. Why didn’t they?”

“Do you think they were unable to?” George had one rule when we began working together. He wanted to know as little about my world as possible. This is the first time he has asked me a question like this.

“I’ve never heard of such a case,” I say slowly. “This changes everything.” I glance up at him. “If I need to see their clothing or whatever else you have in evidence—”

“Just give me a call.”

I give him a grateful look, and we chat about our families for a little while before he decides to head off. As he starts to leave, he motions over my head with his chin. “I assume that’s your son’s father. He’s been glaring at me for the past twenty minutes.”

I look over my shoulder and see Cedric standing by a stall, watching us, his arms crossed over his chest in his signature stance.

I sigh. “Sorry about that.”

“If he’s bothering you, you can always tell me about it.” George pats my shoulder. “Let me know if you find anything useful in those files.”

“Thanks, George.”

I watch him leave before walking over to where my mate is standing. Chewing on my remaining fries, I come to stand in front of him, asking, “Having a good time, are we?”

“Who is that?” Cedric demands.

“A friend. Where is my son, Cedric?”

“He’s fine. He’s on that ride over there.” Cedric points to the large Ferris wheel. “Derrick is sitting with him.”

“You shouldn’t have left Finn with Derrick. I left Finn with you.” I give him an annoyed look. “The human world isn’t as safe as you think.”

“Derrick has fought by my side for years. Not only do I trust him, but he’s also a good fighter. Nobody would dare take our son while Derrick is watching. So, who was that man? How can he be your friend when he’s a man?”

I’m already walking over to where the Ferris wheel is. “Am I not allowed to have friends who are men?” He opens his mouth, and my eyes narrow. “Don’t answer that if you know what’s good for you, Cedric.”

After a moment, my mate protests, “He’s a man!”

“And I am a mated female,” I point out.

“But you’re not carrying my mark,” Cedric says harshly.

Taken aback by his tone, I come to a halt and study him. “Does that make a difference?”

He looks uneasy. “According to the law, you are my mate. But you don’t wear my mark. That means we are not proper mates. And that means you are free to find somebody else. I don’t want that to be a possibility.”

“If I wanted to find another mate, Cedric”—I wrap my hand around his—“I would’ve done so a long time ago. Stop being paranoid.”

We’ve only just reached the Ferris wheel when I hear screams in the distance. My head whips around, looking for the source.

The screaming is coming from behind the stalls near the exit, exactly where George had been headed. I don’t know why, but a bad feeling starts to churn in my stomach. Grabbing Cedric’s arm, I hiss, “You get Finn. I have to go see what’s happening.”

“Not without me,” he says sternly.

I release him and snap, “Get our son. He’s the priority.”

Leaving Cedric there, I run toward the gathering crowd by the carnival exit. The stench of blood reaches my nose as I get closer. I recognize the scent. My heart in my throat, I push through the people standing there and staring.

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