Hidden Debts

Chapter 25

Hidden Debts

Devin couldn't focus.

That realization annoyed him.

Normally, when faced with a problem, he attacked it.

Analyzed it.

Solved it.

Simple.

Lately, nothing felt simple.

The border investigation was becoming more complicated.

The missing wolves were still missing.

The rumors surrounding Jade were getting worse.

And somewhere in the middle of all that, he'd started noticing things he'd rather not think about.

Like the fact that Jade smiled differently after Blackthorn's latest visit.

Like the fact that Ryker seemed just as distracted.

Like the fact that Orion, his wolf, had become increasingly interested whenever either of them appeared.

Interested is one word for it.

Devin sighed.

Not now.

His wolf huffed.

You keep saying that.

Because it's never a good time.

Liar.

Orion settled deeper into his mind.

Annoyingly unconvinced.

Something's changing.

That's vague.

You're the one ignoring it.

Thankfully, Garrett chose that moment to enter the archive room.

Saving Devin from further conversation.

Unfortunately.

Not from work.

"Good."

The Beta carried another box of records.

"You're here."

"I work here."

"Some days."

Devin rolled his eyes.

Garrett set the box on the table.

Dust immediately filled the air.

Both coughed.

Violently.

"One day," Devin said, "we should let somebody else handle archives."

"No."

"Why?"

"You're suffering."

"That's a terrible reason."

Garrett's grin suggested he disagreed.

---

An hour later they were surrounded by records.

Financial ledgers.

Council reports.

Contracts.

The growing mountain of documents looked intimidating.

Unfortunately, it was also producing results.

More discrepancies.

More missing pages.

More inconsistencies.

Every path somehow led back to the same period.

Seven years ago.

The year Jade's father was exiled.

Devin flipped through a ledger.

Then frowned.

"Garrett."

The Beta looked up.

"What?"

"This date."

Garrett leaned closer.

Immediately his expression darkened.

"That's impossible."

Exactly.

The document referenced a debt payment made nearly three weeks after Jade's father supposedly lost access to pack accounts.

Yet there it was.

Recorded.

Signed.

Approved.

The timeline didn't fit.

At all.

Garrett grabbed another report.

Compared dates.

Compared signatures.

Then quietly swore.

Which immediately got Devin's attention.

"What?"

The Beta pushed the documents across the table.

"Look."

Devin did.

And immediately saw it.

Different handwriting.

Different ink.

The same report had been altered.

Not corrected.

Altered.

Deliberately.

The realization chilled him.

Because mistakes happened.

This wasn't a mistake.

Someone had changed these records.

After the fact.

Someone with access.

Someone with authority.

Someone trying to hide something.

Orion stirred uneasily.

This smells wrong.

For once, Devin agreed completely.

---

By evening they had enough questions to fill another archive room.

Unfortunately, they still lacked answers.

Which was why Rowan joined them.

His father studied the growing pile of evidence.

The deeper he read, the quieter he became.

A dangerous sign.

Very dangerous.

"What aren't you saying?"

Rowan looked up.

For several moments he said nothing.

Then he sat down heavily.

Suddenly looking older than Devin remembered.

"I should have investigated."

The admission surprised both younger wolves.

Garrett frowned.

"Rowan—"

"I should have looked deeper."

The Alpha rubbed his forehead.

"The evidence fit."

His voice grew distant.

Thoughtful.

"The debts."

"The complaints."

"The witnesses."

Everything the pack had believed.

Everything Rowan had acted on.

"It wasn't enough."

No one spoke.

Because none of them could change the past.

Not anymore.

Still...

The regret lingered.

Heavy.

Painful.

Real.

For the first time, Devin found himself wondering what it must be like to carry that kind of responsibility.

To realize years later that a decision had harmed innocent people.

To realize trust had been misplaced.

To realize justice might have failed.

The thought was unsettling.

---

The breakthrough came just before midnight.

Garrett nearly missed it.

A single page buried inside a ledger.

Ordinary at first glance.

Completely forgettable.

Then Devin noticed a symbol in the corner.

The same symbol used to identify archived corrections.

"Wait."

Both older wolves looked up.

Devin pulled the page free.

Read it.

Then read it again.

His pulse accelerated.

Attached to the report was an authorization request.

One ordering the removal of financial records from public pack archives.

Specifically records connected to the investigation of Jade's father.

The room went silent.

Garrett took the page.

His face hardened immediately.

Beside him, Rowan slowly stood.

The authorization carried only one signature.

Marcus Carter.

No one spoke.

No one needed to.

Because for the first time, they had something more than suspicion.

More than missing records.

More than questions.

They had evidence.

Not enough.

Not yet.

But real.

Undeniable.

Marcus hadn't merely been involved.

He had actively concealed information.

The implications were staggering.

"Moon Goddess."

Garrett broke the silence first.

Rowan looked toward the window.

Toward the sleeping territory outside.

Toward a truth that seemed to grow larger every day.

"How deep does this go?"

No one had an answer.

---

An hour later, Devin finally left the Alpha House.

The pack was quiet.

Most wolves asleep.

The moon hung high above the forest.

Orion emerged beside him in his mind.

Large.

Dark.

Watching.

You're thinking about her again.

Devin groaned.

We're discussing corruption and conspiracies.

And Jade.

Not Jade.

His wolf snorted.

You're lying to yourself now.

Annoying.

Extremely annoying.

Yet as Devin walked home through the moonlit territory, another realization settled heavily into place.

If Marcus Carter had hidden evidence...

If Jade's father hadn't received fairness...

If the whole story was a lie...

Then Jade had spent seven years paying for someone else's crime.

The thought made his chest tighten.

Because suddenly this investigation wasn't just about missing wolves anymore.

It wasn't just about the border.

It wasn't even just about Marcus.

It was about Jade.

And somewhere ahead, whether she knew it or not, the truth was coming.

The only question was what it would destroy when it arrived.