Page 22 of Knot in My Wildest Dreams: Part 2
I pressed the call button before I could second-guess myself. Elijah answered on the first ring, his voice familiar and reassuring.
“Dante,” he said smoothly, “I’ve been trying to call you. What’s going on?”
I swallowed, forcing my voice into something steady. I needed to find out if there was any possible way he was being manipulated, if somehow he was a victim as well. So I had to lie to him, something I hated doing. “I want us to go over the documentsagain. We need to schedule a meeting. I need to know I have an airtight plan before we take the next step.”
There was a pause, long enough for doubt to chew at me. Then Elijah chuckled, low and knowing. “Still waiting to bring her down? I don’t know what’s holding you back. Alright.”
“See you soon,” I said, and hung up.
I leaned back in the chair, closing my eyes. Maybe he already suspected my loyalties were shifting. I held onto the secret that Celeste was my scent match like a closely guarded treasure. He still thought I hated her. He didn’t know anything about what we’d found out. And I had to keep it that way - if there was the slightest chance that he really was planning against us.
I had to know. I had to see the truth with my own eyes.
Because if Celeste was right, it meant everything I’d believed, everything I’d burned for, had been built on lies.
Chapter 23
Liam
The guesthouse smelled faintly of sage, a Valence touch no doubt, meant to keep the place calm and grounded. It grated on me more than I could possibly express that Celeste had been staying here with them, that she’d found some measure of peace in another pack’s space - but I pushed it down. I needed to prove myself to her, to earn her forgiveness. One thing that softened the blow a bit was that so far, I hadn’t seen Pack Valence even touch Celeste. They weren’t staying in the guest house with her - only Sterling seemed to be around, which made more sense. He was another scent match.
It was almost as if Pack Valence wasn’t interested in Celeste beyond providing for her. I hadn't figured all that out yet, but I was glad that I only had Sterling to contend with as we worked on the plan to get proof of her uncle’s misdeeds.
We were spread out across the long farmhouse table in the common room. Maps of her family compound were pinned beneath water glasses, with Sterling’s neat handwriting marking the access points. Vigo lounged in his chair, restless but sharp-eyed, his focus never straying from the task.
Celeste stood at the head of the table, looking fucking irresistible as she explained the plan. Even though the exhaustion was etched on her face, she never looked more beautiful to me. She was fearless, smart, and I’d completely underestimated her. I’d never make that mistake again.
“Gideon never misses Tuesday mornings at the Harringday headquarters,” she said firmly. “If we can fabricate a contractor meeting, we can stall him there for forty-five minutes at least, or maybe longer if he thinks it’s lucrative.”
Sterling nodded. His silver eyes gleamed in the low light as he added, “I’ll contact him and put it on his schedule.”
I watched him for a moment, then spoke up. “Isn’t Gideon wondering where you are? You’re his assistant, and you’ve been holed up here with Celeste all this time.” I said in a somewhat accusatory tone. Even if Celeste trusted him, I sure as hell didn’t. Or maybe I just wanted a reason to hate him for how he was sitting so closely to Celeste, having earned her trust in record time.
Sterling sent me a sharp look. “Gideon thinks I’m off gathering information on our competitors south of the province. I sold him a story on paying for insider info. Trust me, I’ve been workingfor him long enough to know how to play him.” Sterling said before turning back to the map on the table.
“These are all of the known cameras in the compound. Vigo, we can easily get inside, and into his office. I’m going to need you to be my lookout. There should only be a handful of staff around at that time. But we’ll need the safe code.”
Celeste hesitated, then exhaled. “Seven-four-nine-one-three. I saw him enter it once. He thought I wasn’t paying attention. He’s wrong.”
Vigo gave an impressed look. “That’ll do.”
“And I’ll be watching Gideon,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended. “Make sure he’s actually pinned down at the headquarters. If he so much as thinks about leaving early, I’ll message you.” I said to Sterling, and he nodded. I glanced at Celeste, wondering how she felt about our covert mission.
Celeste didn’t meet my eyes. She only gave a curt nod. That small dismissal twisted like a knife in my chest. I wanted her to look at me, to trust me again. But I’d burned that bridge, and now I needed to make sure she knew I’d do anything to get her back.
As we refined the plan, my gaze kept drifting back to her. She reached for her water glass, and I noticed a faint sheen of sweat along her temple. My stomach lurched. Her temperature was another indication that her heat was coming soon.
“Celeste,” I asked too sharply, leaning toward her, “are you overheating?”
She frowned, waving me off. “I’m fine. Just warm.”
I didn’t believe her. My heart hammered against my ribs, the thought of her in heat under another pack’s roof gnawing at me. My mate, fighting her body alone or, worse, turning to someone else for relief. The jealousy was poison, eating me from the inside out.
Sterling’s voice cut through, low but firm. “She said she’s fine, Liam. Don’t push her.”
I met his gaze, ready to snap, but something in his expression made me pause. He wasn’t challenging me. He was steady, protective, and just as invested in her safety as I was. Against my will, I felt a flicker of respect. The bastard had been Gideon’s right hand, but now? Now he was proving he’d bleed for her. Maybe that was enough for me to tolerate him.
Vigo broke the silence with a tap on the map. “We’ve got our angles. Gideon will be distracted at the headquarters, we get into his office, crack the safe, and pull the proof. No slip-ups.”
