Alpha’s Hybrid Cinderella – Chapter 40
EVAN
Claudia would be all right. She was being stubborn about taking the rest she needed, but she slept peacefully now with some timely help. Evan left her bedroom with a smile so he could wash up and prepare for Peelle’s visit. Osborn had had to stay behind in Dark Moon to make sure nothing happened while they were away, but it would be good to have even one trusted companion back. It was past time for a real face-to-face meeting.
Evan’s good mood melted away at the thought, and the stern coldness of his usual demeanor returned to its customary place. He had taken the day off to take care of Claudia since he trusted no one else to do so like he could, but the same went for this business with Dark Moon. Things were too entangled for him to step carelessly. He had entrusted the basics to Peelle and Osborn for now, but he would be giving this his undivided attention tonight.
le.”
efore anything else. Alpha and subordinate they might be in front of others, but Peelle had always been by his side, supporting him even when his arm seemed weakest. Evan let him into his bedroom and gave the other man a one-armed hug
ately; that was no surprise. “She must have been in bad shape to have you running around so crazy.”
know her limits.”
hat. Remember what I told you about giving her some space?”
told me to stop having h
but make sure you don’t fall back down that rabbit hole, and even
ldn’t be lectured. Tonight was not a night to humor Peelle’s forwardness. They had business to handle.
te.”
looks like it’s just the storms messing with everyone’s visibility.”
o stay on their toes. This is not the time to be careless.”
is. I’ll put him on speaker.”
eping.”
sborn, you’re on speaker. Give us the report, what’s going on with the perimeter issue? Found anything yet or nothing still?”
d going but the investigation is moving forward.”
ouse issue? Do you have confirmation of narcotics in the stores?”
so many of them just sitting around in pots and plots. We’re hunting down the rest as we speak.”
se?”
d standard medicine isn’t really one-size-fits-all. But these alternative medicines are substandard, they can be addicting and have side effects that can be almost as bad or even worse than the thing they’re meant to cure.”
Dark Moon has been peddling in these a
Peelle paused. “Well, there isn’t anyone left in Dark Moon to blame, really, since you executed most of them. But it’ll help us find the connection between them and the other families and packs who’ve been trading with them over the last few decades.”
the week. And I want all trading of these medicines stopped. If they can be called medicine at all. Dark Moon must have been at the hub of whatever illegal tr
it. Osborn,
hey’re interfering in subtle ways that are just irritating enough that it’s slowing down our work.”
Are they the ones trespassing on the territory?”
appening. Shadows here and there, unexplained noises. Things going missing, like I said. I’m being careful
mselves by eliminating information. Proof.” Evan looked to Peelle. “Get back as soon as possible. I was going to ask you to check on the situation in Briar Moon territory, but this is more urgent.”
more experts, I’m taking one back with me who should be able to help.”
eed them for a while yet.”
n the area that might be involved in this need to be policed harder.”
w many do
s. Any loyal ones from the annexed packs should be fine.”
?”
just can’t spare anyone to be sent over to the other territories.”
iness to take care of that will take almost a week so I won’t be able to make it there until Wednesday. I’ll be waiting for your report.”
ed. He should have avoided the formalities of pack annexation and just gone for them right away a long time ago.
he was handling it now.
would come into the light, one way or another.