Chapter 10: The Missing Records

Theron’s POV

The prison warden took too long to answer.

I stood beside the desk, reading the same report for the third time. The file contained Evelina Marlowe's sentence, release date, and a list of disciplinary incidents.

It said nothing useful about her injuries.

"Your Majesty, the warden is on the line."

I took the receiver.

"This is Theron Valtieri."

There was a pause.

"Your Majesty. How may I assist you?"

"I want the complete medical records of Evelina Marlowe. Every examination, every injury, every treatment during her two years there."

"Of course. We sent the official records with her release documents."

"What you sent is incomplete."

Another pause.

"I'll have my staff check."

"Do that. And explain why several dates in the disciplinary report have no matching medical entries."

The warden cleared his throat.

"I would need to review the archive."

"Then review it."

I ended the call.

My aide stood near the door, holding another folder.

"The prison confirmed that her records are stored separately. They said it may take a few days."

"Tell them they have until tomorrow."

He placed the folder on my desk.

"This is the information we found about her shifting history."

I opened it.

There wasn't much. The Marlowe Pack had no recent record of Evelina participating in training or public shifts. The prison records listed her wolf as weak, but there was no proper assessment attached.

"Did she shift before going to prison?"

"According to the Pack, yes. Regularly."

"And after?"

"No confirmed record."

I shut the folder.

A wolf could become weak after prolonged illness or injury. But two years without a proper assessment was unacceptable.

"Arrange for a healer to examine her."

"Should we inform Alpha Marlowe?"

"No."

My aide nodded.

I looked back at the adoption document. The copy had been prepared years after Evelina joined the Marlowe family. It carried the signatures of two witnesses, but the original registration number was missing.

I tapped the paper.

"Find the office that processed this adoption."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"And don't contact the Marlowes about it."

He left.

Later that afternoon, I saw Evelina in the east corridor.

She was carrying a folded blanket. A servant walked past her with a basket of fresh linens, barely acknowledging her.

"Evelina."

She stopped.

"Your Majesty."

"You don't need to address me that way."

She adjusted the blanket in her arms. "What should I call you?"

"Theron is fine."

She nodded, but didn't use my name.

I looked at her hands. There were faint marks near her wrists. She kept her sleeves pulled down even though the corridor was warm.

"Have you seen a healer since your release?"

"Doctor Hart examined me."

"That wasn't what I asked."

Her expression barely changed.

"No."

"Would you agree to another examination?"

"Why?"

"Your prison records are incomplete."

She looked at me for a moment.

Then she asked, "Did they tell you I was difficult?"

"No."

"That I caused trouble?"

"I didn't ask them that."

She lowered her eyes.

"People usually ask about that first."

I said nothing.

She shifted the blanket to her other arm. The movement seemed uncomfortable, but she didn't complain.

"I have to bring this to Mother," she said.

I stepped aside.

She walked past me without waiting for permission.

I watched until she disappeared around the corner.

That evening, my aide returned with a short report.

"The prison archive has located two additional documents. One is a medical request. The other is a disciplinary notice."

"Read them."

"The medical request was submitted after an incident involving Miss Marlowe. It was marked as received, but there's no record of a physician examining her."

"And the disciplinary notice?"

"It was filed the same day."

I held out my hand.

He gave me the papers.

The medical request was brief. It mentioned an injury and asked for an examination.

There was no diagnosis. No treatment.

Only a signature confirming that the request had been received.

I read the date.

Then I looked at the disciplinary notice.

The same date.

"What happened to her?" my aide asked quietly.

I placed both papers on the desk.

"Someone needs to answer that."

My aide waited.

I picked up the receiver again.

"Contact the prison. I want the names of everyone who handled her case."

"All of them?"

"Every name."

I ended the call.

The Marlowes had told me Evelina was guilty. The court had sentenced her. The prison had supposedly carried out that sentence.

But someone had requested medical help for her.

And someone had ignored it.

I wanted to know who.