**CASPIAN'S POV** I stood there, staring after my mate and the others as they left. The night resembled the usual pack nights, but there was something different and sinister about this one. An abnormal silence hung in the air, and the breeze was particularly cold. โThereโs too much mix of scent in this place, so much so that itโs difficult to know who is who,โ Delius remarked. The scents were intermixed, and I couldnโt even distinguish which scent belonged to which shape-shifter. Rapidly scanning the area, I decided to begin tracing even just one scent. For sure, this was a witch scent, but after a few steps, my efforts proved futile as the new scent disappeared in a mixture of others. This was the first time this had happened to me. Realizing that my efforts were not worth it, I decided to take a tour of my surroundings. The ground was dry, and I could feel sand beneath my paws. โWhat the hell really happened here? Why are there so many scents?โ I wondered. โWait a minute.
TAMSYN'S POVSitting on my messy bed, I couldn't stop thinking about Novalia. I struggled to understand her attraction to the mysterious Eric. He had no scent and seemed to vanish into thin air whenever I tried to track him. Each time I brought it up, Novalia would get mad and storm off, her focus drifting from our mission. What could I do to help her?*For now, weโll just observe and see how things go. Get ready; we have to meet our mate tonight,* Mina urged, her tone impatient.โAre you still going for border inspection with the Alpha?โ Arden asked, pulling me from my thoughts. Finally, he was breaking the silence.โYes. He believes heโll find clues for our case,โ I replied, relieved he was finally speaking to me. I stood up and attempted to tidy the chaotic room.โDo you want me to come?โ he offered, moving to help me clean.โIf youโre okay with it, then why not? Weโre collecting clues, remember?โ I said, surprised by his proposal.A long silence followed as we fumbled around, orga
CASPIAN'S POVI sat in my study, waiting for my mate to arrive for the border inspection. She hadnโt reached out since our last conversation, and a pang of hurt settled in my chest. Yet, another part of me insisted she was simply busy. Maybe it was better to let her focus on her work.*After all, weโll be meeting tonight, so thereโs no need to worry too much,* Delius, my wolf, reassured me.I released a breath I didnโt realize I was holding and turned my attention back to my work. I clung to a flicker of hope that tonight would bring some clueโanything that might change the course of our case.โAlpha, the witches of the White Wing clans are here to check on your father,โ Aslanโs voice echoed through the mind link.โTheyโre here already?โ I pondered, recalling the wolf messenger I had sent just the day before. Their early arrival surprised me.*The sooner you deal with the problem, the sooner Mom will stop complaining about us not caring for Father,* Delius pointed out.My fingers tap
**TAMSYN'S POV.After closing the mate bond, I released a shaky breath and sank onto the gym floor, where I had been practicing with my cousins just moments ago. I had convinced them to stay and finish the mission, but I could still feel their lingering resentment. How could I tell them about Caspian when none of us acknowledged the bond?My mind drifted to my mate. Caspian had an inexplicable effect on me. Whenever he was near, I lost focus. Now that the mate bond was open and we could share thoughts, his presence destabilized me more than ever.I recalled our recent conversation. I had managed to persuade Caspian to give me time to explore our bond. I was undeniably attracted to him, yet I hesitated to accept mating. The reason was clear: I had to find my parents' murderer.*But our mate is one of the most feared alphas among werewolves. Mating him isn't a bad thing; he can protect us in our quest for revenge,* Mina chimed in, breaking through my thoughts.I closed my eyes, frustrat
**CASPIAN'S POV**I stared at the files before me. Something was just off about the entries and exits from the pack. The number of people with identities of visitors registered within the pack was far greater than those registered at the entry gates. This meant the registers of visitors at the northern and southern gates were falsified.Many people had entry permits for the southern gate, yet most of their names weren't found on the registers for that gate.*Another shady business is going on in our pack. It's not just the kidnapping of our pups. Something I can't quite place my finger on is happening. The increase in visitors makes it easy to overlook our pack members' disappearances,* Delius remarked. *Also, what if something else is being smuggled in and out of the pack?* he asked after a moment.I could feel his worry, and that made me nervous.I continued reading the files and gasped, realizing the number of visitors for the current month."Why the sudden increase in visitors to
**TAMSYN'S POV**I stopped in front of the huge glass door to our bedroom. I could feel my cousins' worries through the now-opened bond. Taking a moment to think about what to tell my siblings, I tried to smooth my ruffled hair. *It's time to tell them the truth about our mate,* Mina, my wolf, interrupted."Do I really have to tell them?" I pondered.*Remember that we never hid anything from each other,* she warned me."I am just... not ready, you know," I replied hesitantly.*You have to, little human,* she insisted before going silent again.Releasing a sigh, I pushed the door open. As expected, they awaited my arrival. The room was in disarray."Goddess, I was prepared to break into his room if you didn't show up in 30 minutes," Arden said, his eyes filled with relief. He had puffy eyes, suggesting he might not have slept much. The twins sat on the bed, and Novalia stood in the corner of the room. Cruz and Arden were both standing in the middle of the room. I walked up to them.