Chapter 247
She paused, but I didn’t rush her.
“But the Alpha? He finished six weeks early. Not a day or two. Six whole weeks. Just… poof. Signed off. Done. Therapist said he was `ahead of schedule, but that’s not common. Not for someone who had as much trauma on record as he did.”
I swallowed. My throat was dry again, but it wasn’t from crying this time.
H
“And there’s something else,” she added, her voice dropping even further. “No one’s seen his therapist since. The woman who signed off his recovery. She was a senior practitioner who partnered with us for years. After the day she signed him out, she was never seen again. No official termination of her contract with us. No transfer notice. Nothing.”
I blinked at the wall. “Wait–what do you mean she never worked with you again?”
“Exactly what I said,” Melissa said, and there was no hint of drama in her tone. Just something worse–honest worry. “She vanished. The system logged her signature for his final report. Then… nothing. It was rumored that she left because her mate found his fated
mate. But…
A beat of silence fell between us.
“I’m not saying anything happened,” Melissa said like she was trying to step back from her own words. “I’m not accusing anyone. It could all be a coincidence. Maybe she truly left. Maybe she retired quietly. Maybe it’s none of my business. But something about it…
it always sat funny with me. And when you asked nicely, I remembered.”
I closed my eyes, a fresh wave of hot, thick nausea swimming up from my belly.”
Six weeks early.
Therapist gone.
Perfect records.
Too perfect.
“Why…” I croaked, my voice barely holding shape as my throat closed around the question, “Why didn’t anyone say anything?“.
She was quiet for a moment, almost as if even the air on her end didn’t want to speak.
Then she whispered, “Because the Alpha promised to wipe us and our families off the surface of the earth if we ever nosed into his business.”
I blinked.
“What?” I breathed.
“He said he’d gut anyone who so much as thought of snooping.” Her voice cracked on the last word. “He returned a few days ago to reinforce that threat. Said he’d burn us out of our homes. That he’d know who talked. When. And how.”
Her next words came out in a sob that tried to disguise itself as a whisper.
“He can’t know I told you this,” she said, her voice collapsing, “1-1 have a son and a daughter. My daughter just turned four. Her name’s Jilly. And I have a dog. He’s old and stubborn as hell, but he sleeps next to her crib every night. I have a husband who’s a terrible cook but makes pancakes every Sunday ‘cause he knows theyre her favorite… I have a life. I can’t lose it. I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have said anything, just forget 1-
1/2
ue, May
Chapter 247
“Melissa,” I said quickly, “Hey… You’re safe. I promise to keep you out of this, okay?”
The line went quiet again, “Okay,” she whispered.
Then, I ended the call.
I stared down at my trembling hands. The one thing I thought might explain Kester–the therapy–had just become a bigger mystery. And now I didn’t know what to do with it.
My whole body felt hollów. Like my insides had just been scooped out and replaced with smoke.
And just as if the universe had been waiting for the right moment to ruin me completely, there was a knock at the door.
I jerked up, wondering who it was. It couldn’t be Claire. She had a key. She wouldn’t knock.
The knock came again, more persistent, and this time, a voice followed.
“Open the door, Mine.”
My blood ran ice cold.
God.
It was Kester.
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