Page 152 of Just One Bite
“I thought you drugged her!”
“Well, we didn’t.”
“You called her Rabbit, the same as the texts she got.”
“We all call her that. Darien started it. I’m seeing a pattern. Sneaky fucker. He wanted you to have that council seat, and he has a tendency to get what he wants.”
That’s rich coming from him. I replay Darien’s words in my head.I think this will be the more interesting outcome.Interesting for him because he knew who drugged her the whole time. He was leading me toward something.
I harden my voice. “It was Cane who ratted you out.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I should have known. He was always slinking around. He’s the one who gave me the idea for The Hunt.”
“Meaning?” It’s coming together. I almost understand.
“We were going to frame you and call it a day, but he thought it would piss you off more.”
Cane is the one who drugged Olivia.
He tried to sabotage The Hunt.
He threatened Emma.
Cane is behind it all. We’re the target.
My eyes widen.Olivia.
Chapter Fifty-One
Parker
She isn’t in the studio. What happens after is a vivid harebrained blur. I follow her scent, screaming in my head for her but I get nothing but silence. I can’t think as Aster and I wade through the other students in the hallways and the paths outside. I follow the scent to the Central Lawn where Octavia is sobbing in the grass with Darien at her side. He has a handkerchief outstretched to her, while he kneels by her feet.
“I started to think something was wrong, but … it wore off after I put her in the car and watched it drive away.”
“What is she talking about?” I hiss.
Olivia’s scent is all over her, and all I see is red. Pulsing, bloody red.
Octavia looks up at me. “I’m so sorry Parker.”
I growl. “Where is she?”
“There you are asshole.” Aster stalks toward Darien.
But not before I wrap my hands around the collar of Darien’s blazer. “He’s mine.”
I can’t hurt Octavia so Darien will have to do.
“Is that any way to treat a man who has been keeping your mate safe since the day she arrived?”
“You knew Cane was behind all this and you didn’t say anything.” I’m about to shift. My body skipped the itch and went straight into the shaking. Aster feelsit and he steps back with a smirk.
“I suspected him but couldn’t get any definitive evidence because he’s good at covering his tracks. It took time to slowly piece that together and his interest in you and your mate starting with the day she arrived. I overheard him making plans to mark her. I could never figure out his fascination with Octavia though. Late night talks and casual drinks together, but Octavia never remembered much about them when I’d ask her.”
“It started slow. Too faint to notice till I was missing time.” Octavia’s voice is a whisper.
“He was drugging her. But like Olivia, I couldn’t figure out how or why. They were never alone together. It was always in public with witnesses.”
