Page 47 of Wolf Trapped
“No, you have to be wrong. He has been helping watch the most.” I clench my fists at my sides. I storm up the steps to Marie’s door and pound on it may be a bit too hard. The woman in question raises a brow at my rudeness.
“Alpha, I’m guessing you are here to speak with Rocky.” She steps aside and allows me entrance.
“How is he doing?” I ask, stomping into the room. Is this really happening? What could make Carter go after our own pack members?
“He will heal. Zack got him here in time.” Marie nods, waving a hand for me to go into the medical room.
“Rocky,” I say softly. “How are you feeling?”
“Did you get him? Did you catch Carter?” His words make me cringe.
“I just was informed of the situation. No, we haven’t caught him. You are sure it was Carter?” I ask with a sigh. He has been one of the most helpful pack members. The wolf injured him. How could he possibly be the wolf we are looking for? What about the strange scent?
“Yes, Alpha. It was Carter, even though it smelled like a strange wolf. He masked his scent somehow, but we have known each other since he came to our pack, and I would recognize his eyes anywhere.” Hey says, groaning and shifting on the small hospital bed.
“Fucking shit.” His eyes. Jara has only met him once, and she said the wolf’s eyes looked familiar. “Jara said the wolf’s eyes were familiar, but she couldn’t place them. Damn it.”
Knocking on the door has me turning to John standing in the doorway. “What should we do, Alpha?”
“Zack, go get Angela. John, go to Carter’s cabin and see if he’s there.” I don’t want to believe that one of my most loyal shifters is actually a murderer. I need someone to guard Jara for the night in case we have to try to hunt him down.
I slump into the chair by Rocky’s bed and bury my face in my hands. “I’m sorry we have to be the bearers of bad news, Alpha. I’m still in shock as well, but it was Carter. I don’t know how he masked his scent, but it was him.”
“I trust you in that. I saw him in the woods shortly before John’s howl. He lied and told me that John needed rest, so he took over patrols. It had to have been within minutes of the attack on you.”
“Fuck, how did he think we wouldn’t know?” Rocky shakes his head but winces.
“I am sure he knew but was buying himself time to get the fuck away. He was heading north when John howled.
“Archer, what the fuck are you doing here?” Angela rushes into the room. “Tell me they are wrong. That it’s not true.”
“Jara had a run-in with the wolf today, and she made some observations. I was on my way here to inform you about this when I ran into Carter in the forest. He told me he took over for John because he was tired and split off from his patrol. I yelled at him, and he ran off to the north. John howled from the south a few minutes later. It is bad, Angela.”
“He pretended to care. He said he went after the wolf that attacked Jacob, and he is the one that killed him.” She growls. “The fucking coward attacked him from behind.”
Alex appears behind her, his face a mask of rage and frustration. “It makes sense, though. He was the only one today that smelled anything and was gone before I could even process it. But he was injured by claws during the fire.” He rubs his chin thoughtfully as Angela moves into the room and sits heavily on the couch in the corner.
“He probably wounded himself to throw off suspicion. Every time something happened, no one could find him.” Angela says, leaning her head back on the couch.
“Angela, I need you to go out to the cabin to protect Jara for now. I need to run and see if I can track Carter if John doesn’t find him in his home. Alex, can you gather the pack? They need to know what is happening with this and to be wary of Carter.”
John rushes into the room, out of breath and panting. “Carter’s house is empty. He’s in the wind.”
“Did you search the place?” I ask, but I know they probably didn’t. Only the alpha can enter without permission.
“No, Alpha,” he says. I expected that. John won’t be disrespectful even to a murderer.
“Okay, let’s go tell the pack what we have found, and then we will go search his cabin for any clues. I want to know if this is part of a bigger plot against my mate and me or if it’s just because he’s a deranged shifter that needs to die.”
Standing, I stride passed the unsure crowd. I hate this as much as they do, but it has to be done. The pack is already gathering even at the late hour whispers of concern fill my ears and pack members scan the crowd to see who is there. “Listen up, everyone. I have some troubling news.” I scrub my hand over the back of my neck, scanning the crowd and meeting all their eyes briefly. “We know who the wolf is who has been attacking our pack members.”
“Has he been caught?” Patrick asks from the front of the crowd.
“No, he has gotten away. He isn’t a rogue. He’s a member of our pack.” Gasps ring out through the quiet space.
“What? How?” Patrick’s expression is stony. “We all know each other’s scents, and there was always a strange scent when the wolf was near.”
“He is masking his scent somehow. I need you all to be on high alert. Carter is extremely dangerous.”
