Chapter 16

Zayne's Pov

Mayflower Estate was a ten minute drive from the office building. I had expected some sort of high end living establishment. A gated community with heavy security.

But Hallowden was a much smaller town than I could wrap my head around it would seem.

The estate was a simple stretch of road marked by a signpost reading, Mayflower Estate, along with the town's emblem or something.

The houses here were posh alright, but still rather humble looking from my perspective.

I couldn't tell which was Jack Tinsel's of course so I drove out of the estate and waited two minutes away for his car to pass.

It took over an hour for him to show up. All through that time I could only think of how he was with Marissa. Talking with her. Dancing with her. Worming his way into her heart.

If he were any other guy, maybe I wouldn't have been too bothered. But he was her boss.

They probably spent a lot of time in close proximity with each other everyday at work.

Which was why I needed to buy the place from him.

My phone buzzed with a call from my Gamma, Kimara. It didn't bode well that she'd be calling by this time.

“What happened?" I asked immediately I picked up.

“Diana’s gone mental. She fought the guards and destroyed the place. Got access to your quarters and stole some things before leaving.” Kimara informed,. Her voice cool and measured as ever.

“Stole some things? Like what?"

“Documents it would seem. I do not know which ones."

“What do you mean you do not know? Why wasn't she restrained?" I asked angrily.

“We tried, Alpha. She was hard to reason with.”

" Reason with? I told you she would be unpredictable. She should've been captured and held down. Why didn't you do that, Kim?” I asked, my voice a loud growl and I heard her whimper.

" Because…..She…She is your Luna. "

I grunted in exasperation and pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Kimara, Diana is no longer my Luna and must, from now on, be treated accordingly. "

“Yes, Alpha." She replied firmly.

“Where was Ruby during all of this?"

“Diana made arrangements for the child to leave yesterday. A relative came to collect her."

“And Jane?" I asked, my voice tinged with worry.

“She hasn't left her quarters as usual. I should add that Diana tried to gain access to her quarters as well."

Shit. I blew out a breath and shut my eyes. This was turning into a huge mess.

“Alright. Leave everything as is. I'll be back to New York tomorrow. In the meantime, Put as many soldiers as possible on the search for Diana. Monitor her movements for the next few weeks. Do you understand?"

" Yes, Alpha. Understood.”

I ended the call just as Jack Tinsel's car sped past me.

I took note of the car but made no move to follow yet. I needed to regain my bearings.

What documents could Diana have taken? And why?

She'd always been volatile. Unpredictable. Vengeful. Even if she was in the wrong.

She'd deceived me. Made me shoulder the responsibilities of caring for a child that wasn't mine. I should be the one tearing down the place in a fit of rage.

But Diana got what Diana wanted and when she didn't, everyone had to pay.

In her vengeful state, she would go after Jane. A child that wasn't mine as well but was allowed to stay while hers was banished. I needed to get Jane away from there. I trusted my soldiers to protect her but I would feel better if she were somewhere safe. somewhere Diana wouldn't think to find her.

Somewhere like Hallowden.

I ditched the idea of driving into the estate and walked in instead.

The security wasn't as tight as I thought it would be but I could spot the house cameras and I stuck to the shrubs and shadows to stay away from them. Jack had left his car parked outside just as I had hoped. A lot of the houses here did that despite having garages.

Jack Tinsel's House was a simple, modern,two storey. Trimmed hedges, manicured lawn, motion sensored porch lights and a remote powered garage.

Rich, but restrained.

A second storey window was left softly open. It was all I needed.

My muscles rippled beneath my skin as I cleared the distance from ground to window sill in one jump. I pushed the window open a little farther and landed silently on my feet in an empty bedroom.

Jack's. I could hear the shower running and his voice coming through humming a song.

The room was done in neutral tones. Cream colored walls, black and white art, shiny wood surfaces, no clutter.

A bookshelf sat close to the window, boasting of the types of books people bought not to read but to show off.

The shower turned off as Jack finished with his bath.

I let the shift happen. Not fully. The aim was to scare him off a little., not kill him.

My jawbones creaked as fangs pushed through, my fingers stretched out into claws, the suit tore a bit as my chest muscles enlarged, my eyes burned Alpha gold.

I moved across the room and turned off the lights. Then returned to the dark corner between the bookshelf and the window. I didn't need him to see me. Not yet.

He came out in a gray bathrobe, still humming that awful song. He paused as he took in the dark room, trying to recall if he left the lights on or not.

I growled. Low and menacing and his eyes snapped to my direction.

I watched them widen. From his vantage point, all he could see were my eyes flashing gold in the darkness.

“Jesus" He declared in a frightened whisper.

I closed the distance between us. My movements too fast for him to follow. One second I was concealed in the darkness, the next , I was eye to eye with him.

“Stay away from Marissa. Or else."

I didn't wait for a reply. I didn't need one. I was out of the window before he could blink twice.

As I walked away from the building, I heard him burst into tears.