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Chapter Eight: The Recording
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05.08.2026 23:40:59No one spoke.
The words from Elias Mercer’s recording echoed through the parking garage long after the audio had stopped.
He was never meant to become an Alpha.
Every instinct I possessed screamed at me to run.
Not because of the police.
Not because of Chairman Hale.
Because a dead man had just pointed directly at the secret my family had spent twenty-four years burying.
Inspector Mara Voss lowered the tablet without taking her eyes off me.
“What did he mean?”
“I don't know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I've never spoken to Elias Mercer.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
She took one slow step forward.
“What did he mean?”
Before I could answer, Chairman Hale appeared at my side.
“Inspector, I must object.”
Everyone looked at him.
“My chairman has just experienced an attack inside his own office. He's exhausted, and someone is clearly attempting to implicate him. This is hardly the appropriate time to interrogate him over the ramblings of a dying man.”
For the first time that evening, Hale sounded like an ally.
It was so unexpected that I almost believed him.
Almost.
Inspector Voss folded her arms.
“You're suddenly defending him?”
“I am defending Silverfang.”
The distinction wasn't accidental.
He wasn't protecting me.
He was protecting the company.
If I fell, Silverfang's stock would collapse before the market opened.
Hale knew that as well as anyone.
Voss considered him for a moment before nodding.
“Very well.”
She looked back at me.
“But you're not leaving the building.”
“I understand.”
“And neither is anyone else.”
She turned toward the officers surrounding the garage.
“Seal every entrance. No employee, executive, or visitor leaves until I authorize it.”
“Yes, Inspector.”
The officers dispersed immediately.
Marcus quietly approached me.
“You're pale.”
“I've had a difficult evening.”
“You need a doctor.”
“No.”
His eyebrows drew together.
“You refused the medical team upstairs, and now you're refusing again.”
“I said no.”
Marcus looked as though he wanted to argue.
Instead, he lowered his voice.
“Your father called three times.”
My stomach tightened.
“He knows?”
“I only told him there'd been... an incident.”
“And?”
“He's on his way.”
That was the last thing I needed.
If my father arrived before I regained control of my scent, everything could become infinitely worse.
He would recognize the signs immediately.
Ronan stepped closer.
“We need to talk.”
Marcus glanced between us.
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
Marcus hesitated, then nodded.
“I'll keep the police occupied.”
As soon as he walked away, Ronan led me toward the far end of the garage, beyond the flashing emergency lights and curious eyes.
Only when we stood beside an empty row of executive vehicles did he stop.
“You're hiding something from Voss.”
“I've been hiding something from everyone.”
“You know what I mean.”
I remained silent.
Ronan watched me carefully.
“Elias Mercer wasn't guessing.”
“No.”
“He knew.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I don't know.”
His expression hardened.
“You're lying.”
“I said I don't know.”
“You're choosing your words too carefully.”
A pulse of heat rolled through my body.
My knees weakened for a fraction of a second.
Ronan noticed immediately.
His jaw tightened.
“You're getting worse.”
“I'll survive.”
“You're barely standing.”
“I've survived every heat since I was thirteen.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Without help?”
“Yes.”
His silence lasted several seconds.
Then he spoke so quietly I almost missed it.
“You shouldn't have had to.”
The words caught me off guard.
There was no pity in his voice.
Only anger.
Not at me.
At whoever had forced me to live this way.
I looked away.
“This isn't your problem.”
“It became my problem the moment someone tried to poison you.”
A sharp ringtone interrupted us.
It wasn't my phone.
It was Ronan's.
He glanced at the screen.
His expression changed.
“What is it?” I asked.
“My father.”
“Answer it.”
He did.
“Father.”
Victor Ashcroft's voice was loud enough for me to hear.
“Leave Silverfang immediately.”
Ronan frowned.
“Why?”
“Because someone just attempted to break into Ashcroft headquarters.”
The color drained from Ronan's face.
“What?”
“Our secure archives were breached exactly nineteen minutes ago.”
Nineteen minutes.
The same time my office had been attacked.
The same time Elias Mercer had died.
Victor continued.
“Nothing appears to have been stolen.”
Ronan's shoulders relaxed slightly.
Then Victor added,
“Except one file.”
“What file?”
There was a brief silence.
When Victor answered, his voice had lost all emotion.
“Project Genesis.”
The call ended.
Ronan remained perfectly still.
I stared at him.
“What is Project Genesis?”
He didn't answer.
“Ronan.”
His eyes met mine.
For the first time since we'd known each other, I saw genuine uncertainty.
“You've never heard that name?”
“No.”
He exhaled slowly.
“That shouldn't be possible.”
“Then explain it.”
He looked around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear.
When he finally spoke, each word landed like a stone.
“Twenty-four years ago, before our families became rivals, Silverfang, Ashcroft, and Helix secretly funded a classified research program.”
I felt my heartbeat quicken.
“What kind of research?”
“We were never told.”
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
“Then why was it hidden?”
“Because the project officially never existed.”
A cold sensation spread through my chest.
“What was it called?”
Ronan held my gaze.
“Project Genesis.”
Before I could ask another question, a scream echoed across the parking garage.
Both of us turned.
Marcus was running toward us, his face white with terror.
“Chairman!”
He was out of breath when he reached us.
“The body...”
“What about it?”
Marcus struggled to speak.
“The body is gone.”
For a second, I thought I'd misheard him.
“What?”
“The officers turned away for less than a minute.”
His voice shook.
“When they looked back... Elias Mercer had disappeared.”
Every officer in the garage began shouting at once.
Inspector Voss rushed toward the empty crime scene.
The white sheet still lay on the concrete floor.
But the body beneath it...
Was gone.
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